


Kelp

by JHsgf82



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Mentions of PTSD, Neighbors, No cheating, Peeta dating someone else at first, Service Dogs, antics, endgame Everlark, mutual breakup, silliness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25172695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JHsgf82/pseuds/JHsgf82
Summary: One morning, Katniss has an unexpected encounter with a dog with a strange name and her insanely attractive neighbor, Peeta Mellark.
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Annie Cresta/Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 64
Kudos: 114





	1. Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Response to the fluff prompt: "I really needed that...thank you. Loosely inspired/based on something that happened to me yesterday morning. This is pretty fluffy with a bit of humor and angst. 
> 
> Kelp: a large brown seaweed that typically has a long, tough stalk with a broad frond divided into strips. Some kinds grow to a very large size and form underwater “forests” that support a large population of animals. 
> 
> Cover art by mega-aulover. 
> 
> P.S. I love it when Katniss is crushing on Peeta first for a change.

**_Katniss_ **

As she did every morning about this time, Katniss stepped out of her house to grab the daily newspaper. It was pointless, really‒considering she barely ever read it‒aside from keeping her yard tidy. She retrieved the flattened piece of print from the bush where the paperboy always threw it and let out a small sigh. She dropped it next to her wordless, forest green welcome mat and stepped out into the yard.

Her greater purpose for going outside each morning was to get some fresh air. She worked from home, so there was no real reason to go out, aside from the fact that she loved early mornings. She loved the scent in the air, the dew on the grass...she thrived on it. Slipping out of her slippers and leaving them on the walk, she stepped onto the grass in her bare feet. It felt cool and nice between her toes this summer morning. And although she’d rather be in the woods right now, this was pretty great, too.

She stretched her slender arms above her head and yawned like a contented cat. The action caused her white tank top to ride up a bit; she dropped her arms and tugged it down to completely cover her stomach and secured her gray, cotton robe around her. And as was her habit, she took a look around her neighborhood.

She lived in a suburban development called Victor’s Village. There was a history behind the name, which she was a little fuzzy on, but basically it related to overcoming insurmountable obstacles. The story sounded more like a conquest than a victory to her, though, personally.

Scanning the area, Katniss’s eyes landed on the house directly across the street, a small, pale yellow colonial, which housed her new neighbor. Mellark was his last name, at least according to his mailbox. They’d never spoken. He was brand new in the development, and she wasn’t the type to introduce herself, but she’d seen him around a few times. He was, in a word, gorgeous. Wavy blond hair, blue eyes, stocky build, and dimples, which she’d caught sight of when he smiled at her one time

As if he’d been reading her thoughts, said man materialized just then from around the back of his house.

 _Oh, great_. And here she was on this fine, overly toasty summer morning outside in her pajamas, bare legs exposed by her sleep shorts. Of course, Mellark was also dressed as if he’d just woken, in a t-shirt, lounge pants, and slippers.

She watched him a moment. His broad chest was heaving as if he’d been running. Had he gone jogging? No, surely not in that outfit.

Again, as if he could sense her thinking about him, he glanced over. But only briefly before he turned his head. Admittedly, she was a little disappointed. So he didn’t smile or wave like the last time, oh well. Saved her the trouble of having to throw on a smile, herself.

She continued watching him, though, for curiosity’s sake. He was acting strangely, pacing back and forth, back and forth. Something was clearly wrong. And then he started yelling something. It sounded like ‘Help.’ Wait, was he or someone else sick or hurt?

Or, was it ‘help?’ She couldn’t be sure what he’d said.

Against her better judgment, she decided to call out to him. After all, someone might be in trouble.

“Are you okay?” she called from across the street. He stopped and looked over. “Do you need help?”

“Oh, uh, well, yeah, actually. Did you happen to see a yellow lab around here?”

Katniss noted the leash in his hand and shook her head. “No, sorry.” How had she never noticed that he had a dog? Not that she’d been paying _that_ much attention...

“Shit,” he bit out. Then he started pacing again, muttering things and cursing himself for being so stupid. "Augh," he let out a frustrated groan. “I can’t believe I lost her!”

Katniss watched him helplessly, hugging herself. He looked back at her.

“Well, hey, thanks for your concern. I’m Peeta, and I live right there.” He pointed to his house as if he didn’t already know she knew where he lived. Maybe he wasn’t thinking clearly, or maybe he just hadn’t been paying as much attention to her as she had to him.

“Will you keep your eyes p‒?” he began to say ‘peeled,’ but then something caught his eye. His head snapped in that direction, and Katniss’s gaze followed his.

“There she is!” Peeta exclaimed.

The elusive dog had come around the corner and stopped. She was looking this way.

“Kelp,” he called out.

Oh, he was saying ‘kelp’ with a k before, not help. Weird name. Katniss one-arm shrugged and watched the face-off.

“Kelp, you get back here!” Peeta slapped a hand against the side of his leg.

The dog seemed to register his voice and her name. She took a couple of cautious steps forward then turned the other direction, showing him her tail-end. It was a bit humorous to Katniss, almost like a ‘screw you.’

Peeta growled. “Ohh, playing games with me, are you, sweetheart? You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you? This is just vengeance,” he muttered.

Kelp turned to look back at him over her shoulder and barked once.

“You don’t own that bed, you know,” was Peeta’s retort as if they were in the midst of a human argument. “I know you think you do, but it’s _my_ bed.” He placed a hand on his chest.

What the heck was he talking about?

With a sigh, Katniss stepped onto the walk and slipped back into her slippers, and she prepared to go inside. Who was she to interfere in the domestic issues between a man and his dog, anyway?

But then she heard Peeta yell Kelp’s name loudly, and she turned her head in time to see a flash of yellow. The canine had taken off toward the main road exiting the development, and Peeta was preparing to dash off after her.

“Don’t spook her!” Katniss shouted at him, fearing Kelp might rush out onto the busier road and get hit.

Peeta either hadn’t heard or had ignored her warning and was now sprinting (at least as best he could in slippers) toward Kelp. To her great surprise, Katniss took off after them.

So, here she was, running down her street before 7 AM in her pajamas! Apparently she and Peeta Mellark were vying for the Craziest Neighbor title. Well, _she’d_ probably get it because at least Peeta’s loungewear, a gray t-shirt and flannels, looked like it could be a casual guy outfit. Hers, on the other hand, well, she was in sleep shorts, a tank, and a thin, cotton robe, and she didn’t even have a bra on! She wrapped her robe tighter as she ran, trying to ignore the unpleasant sensation of having no support up top. Not that she had much there…

Fortunately, Kelp had veered off from the main road and taken a side road within the development. Much safer and far less busy. But Peeta, still panicked, was chasing her down, seemingly only spurring her on. And Katniss, for some inconceivable reason, was following him…

 _‘Who is more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?’_ Katniss couldn’t help thinking of her last movie night with her best friend, Gale Hawthorne, who was a big Star Wars fan.

But really, Peeta Mellark wasn’t being foolish, exactly, just slightly irrational. Yes, irrational was the word. He was definitely being irrational and handling the situation all wrong.

Now he was dashing through yards and hopping bushes in hot pursuit of Kelp. Even in his slippers, Peeta was fast, but Kelp was much faster. And she seemed to have no intention of allowing him to catch up.

Meanwhile, Katniss was doing her best to keep up with the both of them while sticking to the road. There was no way she was going to follow Peeta into the yards. She couldn’t believe she was even still following him. But, as ridiculous as it was, she felt obligated to catch up to Peeta and prevent him from disturbing the entire neighborhood and possibly getting the cops called on him. He sure must love this dog.

After taking a pass around the block, Peeta slowed to a jog, and Katniss was able to catch up. Kelp trotted along ahead, stopped, and sat in front of Peeta’s driveway. Peeta bent forward, resting his hands on his knees and puffing out a few breaths. “You...you sure did give me a workout, Kelp.” He straightened up and approached the golden dog that seemed to be smiling at him. “You’ve been a very naughty girl,” he said, wagging a finger at her.

At that, Kelp took off at full speed. Peeta reached for her when she sped past him, but he couldn’t grab her in time. This time, she went straight for the exit of Victor’s Village and out onto the main road.

“Kelp, NO!” Peeta shouted.

But it was too late‒Kelp had turned left and disappeared from sight.

Red and sweaty, Peeta covered his face. “Oh, no, no, no, no," he started muttering. He ran both hands haphazardly through his unruly curls. "Shit. Shit. She's gone. Oh, I'm in deep shit now."

Katniss suddenly wondered if perhaps Kelp wasn't Peeta's dog, but she didn't ask, only watched as he began to pace again. He was clearly freaking out, so she took action. She waltzed up to him, grabbed his wrists, and squeezed.

“Hey, hey,” she began soothingly. He didn’t seem to be hearing or seeing her; his gaze was darting all over the place, and he was panting like a dog on a hot day. “Look at me,” she demanded. “Look at me!”

Peeta finally focused on her, eyes still wide, but his breathing had slowed. On pure instinct, Katniss reached out and gave him a light slap across the cheek. He raised a hand to the spot.

It was probably stinging but doubtful that it could have hurt that much; his reaction was probably more due to a complete stranger having the gall to slap him out of the blue.

She’d thought he might be angry, but he didn't seem to be. Rather, he looked at her and calmly said, "I really needed that…thank you."

He was thanking her for smacking him?

Katniss sighed. “She’s not necessarily gone. Don’t give up. Let’s drive around and look for her. I’ll even go with you.”

“What? You will?”

She shrugged. She might as well. Strange as it was, she felt like she was in this with him now, and she wanted to see it through to fruition. If she didn’t, she’d just be stuck wondering and worrying about the outcome.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s fine.” She gave his shoulder a quick pat. “I’ll just...put some pants and shoes on.” Not to mention a bra. “Back in two minutes. Oh, you might want to put some shoes on, yourself.”

* * *

Minutes later, Katniss was back, still wearing the tank top and robe (it simply looked like a light sweater, anyway), but she’d added skinny jeans, tennis shoes, and a bra to the mix.

Peeta gave her one chance to back out. “You really don’t have to do this.”

“It’s okay.”

“Alright, let’s go.” He ushered her to his car with a hand on the small of her back, and Katniss fought the heat creeping up on her cheeks. Apparently, he’d calmed down some because he even did the gentleman thing of opening the door for her. It felt weird...as if they were going on a date rather than tracking down his wayward dog.

Peeta’s tires screeched as he pulled out of his driveway, and he headed toward the development’s exit. Katniss hoped he was in a state to drive. Maybe she should have offered, but he’d seemed to be much less freaked. When they got to the end, he headed in the direction Kelp had gone.

* * *

While Peeta drove around the area, both he and Katniss kept a lookout for Kelp. Katniss was applying her hunter senses as best she could, carefully scanning the surroundings and listening for the sound of a dog barking. Of course, there were lots of dogs around here…

“Sorry to drag you into this,” Peeta commented, his eyes flitting between the road ahead and the sides.

“It’s okay. Adds a little excitement to my day,” Katniss said dryly. A hint of a smile graced his lips.

“I hope I’m not making you late for anything.”

“No. I work from home. Can always make the time up later.”

Peeta exhaled. “Good. I mean, I figured you wouldn’t offer to help unless you had the time, but I still felt bad about that. Me, I was supposed to be at work hours ago, but I texted my colleague and told him I’d be late. It’s pretty lax there, and I’m basically in charge, so...”

Katniss nodded.

Finally, Peeta passed by a small park, and that’s when Katniss caught sight of a bright yellow blur zipping through a patch of wildflowers.

“There!” she pointed. And Peeta pulled in to the parking lot of the park. Kelp was sniffing around a tree ten or fifteen feet away. When she saw them pull up, she took off running through the park, but she didn’t seem to be trying to escape; rather, she was making circles, probably taunting them further.

In seconds, Peeta was out of the car, preparing to chase after her. Katniss hopped out quickly, catching his arm just in time before he could make a break for it. That strategy hadn’t worked at all last time.

“Look, you’re just going to scare her off again. But I have an idea.” Katniss reached into her pocket and pulled out her secret weapon, a limp strip of bacon.

Peeta looked down at her hand. “What‒?” he began, but then he got it. “Do you always carry bacon in your pockets?” he grinned.

“No.” She shook her head. “I had some leftover from breakfast. Grabbed it when I went to change. Thought it might come in handy for luring Kelp.”

Peeta smiled.

As for Kelp, she’d vanished behind some bushes, but Katniss knew she was close by. She could feel it. She then began tearing small pieces of bacon from the strip and peppering the sidewalk with them in a little trail.

 _Dogs are easy to trap_ , thought she. _If there’s food, they’ll come._

For good measure, Katniss tugged Peeta by the hand and led him over to a bush where they crouched down to hide from the runaway pup. Peeta wasn’t nearly as petite as Katniss, so it took some maneuvering for him to completely conceal himself, and he was overly loud about it, but he finally managed to get into a good position.

Peeta was seated now with one leg curled beneath him and the other bent upright. Katniss felt a warm, tingling sensation when his knee brushed her arm. She compacted her body slightly to avoid touching him again, though she wouldn’t mind it, and she glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. She nearly laughed out loud at what she saw.

“Uh, you have leaves in your hair,” she told him, fighting the strong urge to reach over and brush them out herself. She wasn’t a touchy-feely person at all, so it was exceedingly strange that she’d feel inclined to do that, especially with a perfect stranger (keyword: perfect).

“Oh.” Peeta laughed a warm, hearty laugh as comforting as a thick soup on a cold day, and he brushed at his hair several times, managing to get most of the pieces of greenery out.

Biting her lip to avoid grinning like an idiot, Katniss got back to the matter at hand. “Let’s hope Kelp likes turkey bacon.”

“Oh, she does,” Peeta assured. Resting his elbow on his knee, still dangerously close, he turned to look at her. And blue eyes met gray. “You’re brilliant,” he told her. And although she really tried, this time, she couldn’t fight the upturn of her lips.

They seemed to be having some kind of moment now, and to Katniss’s surprise, Peeta’s gaze persisted...and persisted…

Was she imagining it, or was her oh-so-attractive neighbor content with staring into her eyes? If she didn’t know better she might even think he was going to kiss her. But no, that was simply wishful thinking. And ridiculous thinking at that. She knew nothing real about this guy, and a normal person doesn’t go around kissing someone they just met, nor do they want to be kissed by one.

Regardless, Katniss’s entire body had gotten several degrees hotter. Now, on top of the heat of the day and the droplets of sweat formulating on the sides of her face and trickling down between her breasts from running, she had this whole stupid besotted schoolgirl full-body blush going on.

As for Peeta, he was cool, attitude-wise, but even sweatier‒men always seemed to sweat more than women, not to mention he had been marathoning it after Kelp‒but it didn’t look at all unappealing, nor did he stink. He actually had this sweet and savory scent, as if fresh from a bakery. Heaven help her, this just kept getting worse and worse...

 _Stop looking at me_ , thought Katniss. She couldn’t take it any longer.

Embarrassed and unable to maintain eye contact, Katniss looked away and focused on the sidewalk where the bacon trail lay in wait of Kelp. She couldn’t believe this was how she was spending her morning, hiding in a bush in the park with her hot neighbor, waiting for his dog to emerge.

As expected, Katniss’s plan worked, and it wasn’t long at all before the hungry canine appeared. Sniffing the air, the yellow lab sauntered up to the first piece of bacon and scarfed it up. She proceeded to do the same with the next piece, and then the next.

Katniss could sense Peeta beside her ready to bolt; she clutched his arm. “Wait,” she hissed. She noticed Kelp’s ears twitch at that, but the dog just kept happily munching on each subsequent piece of bacon.

“Now?” Peeta asked, clearly accepting that she was the brains behind this mission.

Katniss shook her head. “Let me go.” It would be better this way, she decided. Not only was she much quieter, but Peeta’s dog seemed to take pleasure in tormenting him.

“She doesn’t bite, does she?”

“No,” Peeta denied. “She’s a pain in the ass, but she’s gentle.”

Katniss nodded. She crept out of the bush then, pulling the second strip of bacon she’d brought from her pocket as she did. Kelp attuned to her right away, her long, golden body going stiff as a statue. The large, yellow lab was perfectly poised and staring Katniss down. Katniss approached slowly, extending the piece of bacon.

“Kelp,” Katniss spoke in a dulcet tone (one she never used for anyone or anything), and extended the piece of bacon. “Hey, girl. Want some bacon?”

Kelp’s ears twitched. She was clearly familiar with that word, or maybe she simply knew what Katniss had in her hand. Katniss proceeded slowly, a couple of tiny steps at a time. “It’s okay, Kelp. Good girl,” she soothed.

Kelp cocked her head to the side, intrigued. She remained stationary, her big brown eyes fixated on the piece of bacon in Katniss’s hand, her snout occasionally lifting to sniff the air.

Katniss moved closer, ultra slowly. When she was within a few feet of Kelp, she crouched down and held out the piece of bacon. Kelp closed the distance, took it from her delicately, then sat and munched greedily.

“Good girl,” Katniss praised, and she chanced a stroke of her furry head. She had the softest, most luxurious, clean-scented fur of a dog, and Katniss couldn’t help but compare it to her owner’s. Despite the sweaty, disheveled mop it was now, she imagined Peeta's was even softer…

Geez, get it together, Katniss.

Kelp didn’t seem to mind Katniss petting her, so she continued. She motioned for Peeta then, mouthing ‘slowly,’ ‘easy,’ to him.

While Katniss kept Kelp distracted, Peeta managed to creep up behind the wily canine and slip the harness over her head, not because he was particularly sneaky about it but more likely because Kelp had given up running. She had even lain down and seemed perfectly content licking her chops of any remnants of bacon grease.

Peeta breathed a sigh of relief as he fastened the harness around Kelp’s legs, double and triple-checking to make sure it was secure. Then he looked up at Katniss. “That was incredible. Are you like a dog whisperer or something?”

“No.” Katniss gave a small chuckle. “I just know animals, I guess.”

Peeta nodded and moved to stand, ordering Kelp to do so as well. She listened this time and put up no fight in walking to the car with him. Katniss strolled along beside them, Kelp between Peeta and her.

After opening the car door, Peeta commanded “up,” and Kelp hopped into the backseat. Oh, so now she was suddenly so well-behaved. He tapped her nose lightly in a chastising manner and shut the door. Then he turned to Katniss.

Before she knew what was happening, Peeta had let out a half-pleased, half-triumphant growl and was hoisting Katniss into his arms. As if she weighed no more than a ragdoll, he held her up against his body in a bear hug, her feet dangling off the ground. “Thank you so much!” he exclaimed, squeezing her tight (but not too tight).

Katniss’s body went rigid, her cheeks boiling. What was happening right now? The only person she ever really let touch her was her little sister Prim, and here she was being picked up, literally, by a complete stranger. It was certainly odd but not altogether unpleasant. In fact, the feel of his solid body pressed against hers was really nice. And he smelled good, like cinnamon and...dill, maybe?

With a chuckle, Peeta finally set her down. “I’m so sorry.”

_Don’t be._

“Guess I got carried away.”

“It’s alright,” Katniss said, smoothing out her robe and adjusting her tank top, more so to avoid looking at him than for appearance purposes. But she could feel his eyes on her.

“Anyway,” Peeta breathed. “I suppose I’d better get you home. You must be eager to start your day, and I need to get Kelp back and get to work.”

“Yeah,” she agreed.

He opened the passenger door for her once more, and she got in.

Normally, Katniss would be perfectly content to sit in silence with a stranger, especially on such a short drive as they had, but she felt as though she’d gotten to know Peeta a little today (but then again, not at all). She decided to strike up a conversation.

“So, you know, I couldn’t tell what you were saying before. At first, I thought you were calling for help.”

“Oh,” Peeta laughed. “Yeah, it probably sounded like it. And as you know, I did need help. Thanks again for coming to my aid. Not many people would have done that.” He gave her the brightest, most beautiful smile she’d ever seen.

“You’re welcome,” Katniss muttered shyly, focusing intently on her pants. She patted her hands against her thighs.

“So...Kelp, huh?” she deflected. “Interesting name.”

“Yeah.” Peeta chuckled. Katniss was really starting to like the sound. “I didn’t name her.”

“Oh. But she’s...your dog?”

“Not technically. She’s actually my girlfriend’s.”

 _Oh_. His girlfriend. _He has a girlfriend. Of course, he does. Why wouldn’t he?_

Katniss worked to quell the pit in her stomach. What was she hoping for, anyway? She faked a laugh. “Well, that makes more sense now. I wondered why your dog would run from you.”

“Yeah...,” Peeta ran one hand through his curls then returned it to the wheel, “aside from the fact that she knew she was in trouble, she’s never really liked me all that much. I think she’s jealous of me being around Annie or doesn’t trust me with her or something. Like I’d ever hurt her…”

“Annie is your girlfriend?” Katniss didn’t know what else to say, so she asked the obvious question.

“Yeah.” Peeta nodded. “She’s an oceanographer,” he said proudly, “hence the name Kelp. And Kelp’s her emotional support dog.” He glanced over at Katniss. “You see, my girlfriend has PTSD.”

“Oh. I’m...sorry.” Katniss was actually all too familiar with the condition.

Peeta shrugged. “It is what it is. She’s used to it by now. Kelp helps her a lot. That’s why I was so freaked about losing her. I mean, aside from the fact that I love my girlfriend and she loves her dog, Annie needs her.”

“I understand.” Katniss thought a moment. “I know it’s not my place, and I’m sorry to criticize, but it doesn’t seem like Kelp’s very well trained for a support dog. Running off like that…”

“Oh, trust me, it’s not Kelp’s fault. She’d never run away from Annie. That dog loves her. Sticks to her like glue. She’d die protecting her. What happened today was all because of my own stupidity.” Peeta mussed his hair for about the hundredth time that morning. It looked cute, but of course, Katniss wasn’t free to even think that. He had a girlfriend...

“I don’t normally walk Kelp, but I was trying to be helpful.” Peeta sighed. “Annie was up late last night finishing a paper for her fellowship, so I thought I’d let her sleep in. I was just trying to be a thoughtful boyfriend.”

“That’s nice.” Katniss wondered if they lived together or if Annie was just over a lot.

“Yeah, I guess, but then I go and nearly lose her dog. The only thing that really keeps her sane and happy.”

Surely he helped with that, too, thought Katniss, but there was no way she was going to say it aloud.

“When Annie has an episode, all she wants is that dog.” He said it as a statement of fact, no trace of bitterness in his tone.

Well, that answered her question. She wasn’t going to comment on that one, either. Why was he telling her all this, anyway?

“I mean, I know she likes knowing I’m there when she’s in that state, but she doesn’t want me close, only Kelp. I don’t feel too awful about it, though, because Kelp knows exactly what to do. And I know I help Annie in other ways. We play this game called ‘Real or Not Real’ that I made up...” Peeta smiled faintly.

Katniss could guess what the game entailed. It didn’t seem like a bad idea, actually.

“That’s good. And I’m sure it wasn’t your fault that Kelp got loose,” Katniss said, trying to be reassuring. “These things happen.”

“No, it was my fault. I was a little groggy this morning and didn’t secure the harness properly, and Kelp took off after a squirrel. I’d already scoured the neighborhood for a good twenty minutes before I ran into you.” Peeta exhaled. “Don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along…”

Katniss pressed her lips together, wholly unused to such unequivocal praise.

* * *

They pulled into her driveway, and Peeta looked over at her. “So, sweetheart…” Again with the ‘sweetheart’ thing. First, he was calling the dog that, now her? Did he call everyone that? She couldn’t be too indignant, considering the little flip it’d caused in her stomach, but she didn’t want him knowing the effect he had on her, so she fixed him with a robust scowl.

Peeta guffawed. “Okay, what should I call you, then?” he teased. “Neighbor girl? Girl with the bacon? My savior?”

“How about just Katniss,” she said, shaking her head amusedly. He’d never bothered to ask her name, seemingly preferring to make up a nickname instead. “I’m Katniss Everdeen.”

“Well, Katniss Everdeen, you saved my ass, and I’m indebted to you for life.” She frowned at his exaggeration; he only grinned. “How can I ever begin to repay you?”

Katniss waved him off. “There’s no‒”

“I could give you some money…”

“No,” she immediately refused. “I couldn’t take it.”

“But...I owe you.”

“You don’t. I was just doing my neighborly duty.” That was funny coming from her, considering she never even bothered to meet her neighbors or interact with them, at all. This was the first time. She always just gave them the barest of nods to be polite when they crossed her path (because she felt she had to). But then again, none of her neighbors, aside from Peeta, were very friendly. They ranged from indifferent, like her, to nosy, like Trinket, to wild, like Mason, to drunk, like Abernathy. That was all she really knew about her neighbors, their last names and one defining characteristic to distinguish them.

“But I have to do some‒wait, never mind. I know what I can do.”

“What? What are you going to do?” she asked suspiciously.

“Just never you mind, Katniss.” He grinned, and she was fighting the impact of the double whammy of him saying her name and smiling like that. “Let’s just say you haven’t seen the last of me, _neighbor_.”

Uh oh. What did that mean?

He winked at her, and yet again, she blushed.

“I should probably make it up to the rest of the neighborhood, too,” Peeta remarked, scratching his head. “You know, for all the noise and property destruction…” He looked down, contrite, and Katniss smirked. He must be referring to the bush he nearly fell through.

“Anyway…” He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks again, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

“It’s okay. It was...an interesting morning.”

Peeta chuckled.

“Well…I’ll see you around, Katniss.”

“See you.” She gave him a small smile then reached back to ruffle the fur on Kelp’s head. “Bye, Kelp,” she said before exiting the car.

From behind the wheel, Peeta peered out the window at her, smiling broadly. “Oh, and by the way, I hope you like baked goods.”

And that was the last thing he said before leaving her in her driveway.


	2. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peeta, feeling indebted to Katniss for helping him catch Kelp, bakes for her. But his neighborliness doesn’t stop there. As she slowly grows closer to him, Katniss fights her feelings for her kind, attractive, yet unavailable neighbor. Meanwhile, Peeta is fighting some battles of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is some Peeta x Annie fluff at the beginning of this chapter. There won't be a lot more after this.

**_Peeta_ **

After returning home, Peeta left Kelp in the kitchen with her food, a primo organic brand of kibble, and went to check on Annie. He could hear the dog loudly scarfing from her bowl as he headed to his bedroom.

“Yeah, I’ll bet you worked up quite the appetite running me around all morning,” he muttered aloud.

 _Us_ around, actually, he thought, recalling his lovely neighbor. And he smiled.

She’d been so generous to help him out; she’d even given Kelp bacon. From the sounds coming from the kitchen, though, he assumed it hadn’t been enough‒Kelp was eating as if she’d never seen food before. So what else was new?

Peeta went to the bedroom, and when he got there, Annie was exactly where he’d left her, in his bed fast asleep. As usual, her legs were tucked up nearly to her chest; one arm was outstretched, and her face was buried in the mattress, her long brown hair cascading across it. She was sleeping so peacefully. She always did sleep better at his place than her own, so she said.

Peeta took a seat on the edge of the bed and gazed down upon his longtime girlfriend. Delicately, he brushed back the silken strands from her face and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. She shifted in her sleep and rolled over with a sigh.

“Good morning,” Annie murmured sleepily.

“Good morning. I’m sorry to wake you,” he whispered.

“No, it’s okay.” She reached up to touch his face. He turned into her hand, pressing a kiss against her palm.

“How’d you sleep?”

“Mmm, good, actually. You?”

Peeta hesitated, his nose wrinkling up. “Uh, on the couch.”

“Again? Oh, Peeta, I’m sorry. Kelp?”

“Yeah.”

Annie got an extremely guilty look on her face, and he immediately regretted telling her. With a smile, he took her hand and kissed the back of it. “No worries.”

“Maybe we should stop sleeping here…”

“Don’t you dare,” Peeta said, tapping the end of her pert nose. “I like having you here.”

“I know, but‒”

Peeta shook his head, effectively cutting her off. Annie poked out her lip adorably but conceded.

“Hey, what time is it, anyway?” Annie glanced over at the digital alarm clock on the bedside table. “Whoa. Peeta, why did you let me sleep so late?”

“I thought you could use the rest after being up half the night working on that paper, and I knew your presentation wasn’t until 2.”

Annie smiled softly. “Thanks. But what about you? Why aren’t you at work, Peeta? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Oh, well...had a little situation this morning.” Peeta rubbed the back of his neck.

“What situation?” Annie’s sea-green eyes flashed with worry.

He exhaled slowly. “Kelp got loose.”

“What?” Annie shot straight up in bed, her face stricken with panic. Peeta was about to quell her fears when Kelp came bounding into the room. She must have sensed Annie’s fear from two rooms away, either that or she’d just finished stuffing her snout.

“Oh, Kelp!” Annie exclaimed as the dog leaped into the bed beside her. She buried her face in Kelp’s sleek golden fur.

“Yeah, I found her,” Peeta said. “I’m so sorry I let her get loose, Annie.”

Peeta could tell the color was coming back into Annie’s cheeks. “It’s okay, hon. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Kelp can be, uh, rather free-spirited.”

“Oh, believe me, I know.” Peeta chuckled.

At that, Kelp nudged her way under Annie’s arm, curling up against her small body. And Peeta swore Kelp shot him a death glare for making his human worry.

So he’d confessed his mistake of losing Kelp, and of course, Annie had forgiven him‒she was far too sweet and understanding not to‒but there was still a little something niggling at the back of Peeta’s mind. And he strongly suspected it had something to do with the attraction he’d felt for his neighbor.

“It was, uh, quite the adventure tracking down Kelp,” he told Annie, now that she was calm and had Kelp in her arms.

“Oh yeah?” Annie’s brow raised. She scooched over a bit to make room for him on the bed, and Kelp moved over automatically.

Of course, Kelp was obedient when Annie was around and awake, but when she wasn’t, things like the bed were fair game. It was usually a battle, involving Kelp hogging Peeta’s entire side and growling at him when he tried to nudge her over. Oh well. No matter. He didn’t usually sleep through the night, anyway.

“Yeah,” Peeta said, settling in. He shot Kelp a look, and she stared up at him with big, brown, innocent eyes. Yeah, sure, now you’re acting like an angel… He sighed.

“Oh, I officially met my neighbor across the street,” he said, leaning back against the headboard.

“Oh yeah? What are they like?” Annie asked.

“Well, she’s…,” he paused, contemplating what exactly to say. There were plenty of adjectives he could use to describe Katniss Everdeen, though most of which were not best to say in front of his girlfriend, and the fact that he was even thinking them made him feel exceedingly guilty. “Very nice and helpful,” he finally settled on. “Good with animals, too. You know she helped me track down Kelp? She even used bacon to lure her.”

“Wow. How clever” was Annie’s reply. “So, this is the neighbor directly across the street?” Peeta nodded. “I think I’ve seen her around. Petite. Dark hair. Braid. Mysterious eyes?”

“Uh,” Peeta tugged on his ear, an action he did when he was nervous or uncomfortable, “yeah, that’s her.”

Annie pressed her lips together as she studied her boyfriend’s expression. “She’s cute,” she said with a raise of her brow.

Peeta’s eyes shifted away, and Annie laughed that sweet, melodic laugh of hers.

“It’s okay, Peeta. I don’t mind if you think she’s cute. She is. I won’t deny it. She has amazing skin, and I...I couldn’t quite tell what color her eyes were from a distance, but they looked incredible.”

_More than cute, she’s beautiful. And her eyes are the color of the sky just before a storm..._

Peeta felt like a complete jerk for thinking such things, not that it meant anything. So he’d had a moment of attraction to his pretty neighbor? So he’d noticed the steely gray of her eyes? So a sudden jolt had shot down his spine when they were hiding in that bush together? So what? That didn’t mean he loved his girlfriend any less or that he’d ever leave Annie. Certainly not for something as superficial as an attraction to someone else. And he’d definitely never cheat on her. He wasn’t that kind of guy.

Peeta’s buddy had always said he was a perpetual monogamist, that he got tunnel vision when it came to women. He’d set his sights on one and wouldn’t veer off course for anything. And that one woman he was interested in became everything to him; the sun rose and set in her eyes.

Currently, that woman was Annie. And he planned on her being it for him.

Peeta and Annie had been together for going on five years now, and they’d been friends even longer than that. Naturally, the newness of the relationship had worn off by now; there wasn’t quite that spark there once was, but his affections for her had only deepened over the years.

Supposedly, it was normal to occasionally be attracted to people other than your partner, but the strange thing was, Peeta hadn’t really experienced that. There had only been a couple of women in his life, and he’d always remained loyal, had never even felt any temptation to stray. Not that he was now. But, he had to admit, he’d felt...something today.

Frankly, it made him feel a little sick.

“You know,” Annie smirked, “you can tell me when you find women attractive, Peeta.”

All he could do was give her a sheepish look‒and thank the heavens she couldn’t read his mind. He reminded himself that his temporary lapse meant nothing.

Returning to his senses, Peeta played it off. “I must say, it’s a bit odd that my girlfriend is encouraging me to comment on other women’s attractiveness.” He grinned halfheartedly. “Is this some kind of test, Miss Cresta, or are you just the coolest ever?” He playfully tickled her side with his pointer finger.

With a laugh, Annie squirmed away. “No, no test, Peeta. We used to talk about this sort of thing, remember?”

“Mm.” He nodded. “But that was back when we were just friends, when you were my ‘wingwoman,’” he used air quotes, “so to speak. You’re not that anymore.”

“You never needed a wingwoman, or man, Peeta.” She smiled. “With that build, those baby blues, and your way with words...not to mention your skills in the kitchen, what woman wouldn’t be putty in your hands?”

Peeta grinned for real this time. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Worked on me, didn’t it? And as I recall…,” Annie tapped her chin, “I had quite some fierce competition over you.”

“Oh now, don’t you exaggerate.” Peeta chuckled. “You know I only have eyes for you.” He felt a tinge of shame at saying so. Perhaps he should confess to Annie.

“Now, yes,” she chimed in before he could say more. “But back then, I felt like I’d landed the white whale.”

Peeta laughed heartily. God, he did love this woman. “So, I’m a whale?”

She pressed three fingers against his chest and shoved. “Metaphorically-speaking, yes.”

Smiling, he reached out to brush back a piece of her long, wavy hair. It always reminded him of seaweed, the way it flowed and went every which way but never seemed to get tangled up. Much prettier, of course.

“Your marine/literature references are so cute. But you talk like I was some lothario back then.”

Annie giggled. “I know you weren’t, but I’m saying you could have been.”

“Well, that’s not me, sweetheart.” He flashed her a lopsided grin.

“I know.”

“Don’t you worry. I’m completely devoted to you.” And he meant it, 100%.

Annie smiled. “I know that, too. And I’m not worried, was just curious.”

“Okay.” He pressed his lips together and pulled her against his chest. She snuggled in. With a contented sigh, he began running his fingers through her hair. “Remember those summers on the beach,” he said wistfully, staring up at the ceiling fan.

Annie didn’t respond right away, and for a moment, Peeta feared he shouldn’t have brought up their old home. But then she purred, “Mm, how could I forget?”

Relieved, he released a small bit of air.

“You know, I had a little crush on you from the very beginning...”

“I know,” she murmured into his shirt.

“Oh, did you?”

Her lips tilting, she looked up at him. “Yep,” she said. Then her head fell right back into place against his chest.

Peeta chuckled.

“I felt pretty lucky to finally get you,” he said. And he was lucky. What in the world had he been thinking earlier? Noticing another woman… Annie was all he needed. “Oh, and about those skills you mentioned before? All that really matters to me is that you appreciate them.”

Annie bit her lower lip lightly. “I do. Every single one of them,” she punctuated each word.

Their eyes met again, and Peeta dipped his head, only to stop midway. His blues flitted to the golden dog curled up against his girlfriend’s side, one paw resting protectively over her leg. And Peeta swore the canine was scowling at him (if that were possible).

 _Do you know, Kelp?_ He wondered. He swore the dog was part human, and either she knew of his attraction to Katniss and was giving him a hefty guilt trip, or she was revolted by his sappiness.

“Uh, Annie?” Peeta began, his lips inches from hers.

“Yeah?” Her lashes fluttered.

“Can you cover Kelp’s eyes?”

Annie snorted. “Oh, Peeta, you’re ridiculous.”

“No, I’m not. I’m legitimately afraid to touch you sometimes for fear Kelp will bite my hand off. I’ve already lost a leg; I don’t want to lose a hand, too.”

“You’re touching me right now, Peeta. You’ve been touching me.”

“Yeah, but with the way she’s looking at me right now, I dread what’ll happen if I try and kiss you.”

He was only partly joking; Kelp did often get defensive when he tried to be loving with Annie. For all he knew, the unpredictable pup, who’d just run amok through the streets, might lunge at his face.

Annie shook her head at him. “Now who’s exaggerating? It’s not like Kelp’s never seen us be affectionate.”

 _No, but she doesn’t like it_ , thought Peeta.

“She knows you’re my person, Peeta. And she does like you.”

Peeta found that hard to believe, considering the dog kicked him out of his bed most nights and had just forced him to chase her all around the neighborhood with an almost human smugness about her. At best, theirs was a love-hate relationship.

“I guess she is a little...jealous and possessive, occasionally,” Annie admitted.

_Occasionally?_

He didn’t say that, though.

Instead, he asked, grinning, “Who wouldn’t be?” And Annie’s thin, pink lips curled up into a broad smile.

“See, what’d I tell ya? Way with words.” She cocked her head to the side. “You know you’re way too smooth for your own good, Mellark.”

“But you put up with me, Cresta.”

“I do.” And so, smiling, Annie placed a pale, dainty hand over her dog’s big, brown eyes, and Peeta leaned in the rest of the way to claim his kiss. It was brief, chaste. And straightaway, Annie swung her legs over the side of the bed. Kelp leaped off directly after.

“I’d better get dressed,” she announced as she began searching around the room. Anticipating what she’d misplaced, Peeta pointed to where she’d left her bra. “Thanks!”

From the bed, he shook his head amusedly. “I’d better get going, too. Hopefully, they haven’t burned the place down without me.”

Annie smirked over at him. “I’m sure they managed.”

“So, are you coming back after you present your paper?” he asked, heading to his closet.

“Unfortunately, no. I have more work to do, and my colleagues want to go out after. Plus, I have an early day tomorrow, so I figure I’d better just stay at my place tonight.”

“Oh, okay. Have fun with your colleagues. Going to VSG?”

“Yeah, the usual.”

No surprise, Annie’s oceanographer colleagues were obsessed with seafood like she was, and Victors’ Saltwater Grille‒the full name‒was the only decent seafood restaurant in town. Not like back in their old hometown, D4 (that was their nickname for it), where prime seafood could be found on every corner. Annie missed that, but Peeta had never been much for seafood. He always preferred carbohydrates and heartier meals, things like bread and stews. He’d joined Annie and her colleagues several times, but usually, she didn’t invite him. It was a convenience thing, he figured. It was a bit of a drive, being all the way on the other end of the city, much closer to her place than his, and she knew he had to be up early in the mornings.

“I’m boringly predictable, aren’t I?” Annie inquired.

“Predictable, a tad.” He pinched his fingers together. “Your colleagues, anyway. Boring, certainly not.”

He crossed the room, then, to give her a hug, but before he could wrap his arms around her, Annie gasped. “Peeta! You’re limping!”

“Uh, yeah.” He shrugged. “No need to worry, though, sweetheart. I’m just a little sore from chasing around that confounded dog of yours.” He smiled and winked at her, ignoring Kelp’s bark of protest. Annie’s anxious expression faded, though she was still frowning.

“I’m really sorry,” she moped.

“Don’t be.” He embraced her tightly, then proceeded to pick her up and swing her around‒that always cheered her up. Annie giggled as she held onto his shoulders tightly, his name a lackluster protest on her lips.

He’d twirled Katniss around similarly, he recalled. What was that all about? He supposed he’d just been so relieved to have caught Kelp. But it really wasn’t appropriate. What she must think of him…

Peeta tried not to dwell on it, though. After they’d both gotten dressed, he shared one last hug with his girlfriend. “Call me tonight if you need to,” he said as he left the bedroom.

“I will, babe.”

***  
Peeta left for home later than usual, considering he’d gotten such a late start at the bakery due to this morning’s...excitement. Of course, he could have gone at the normal time (he was in charge, after all), but he felt a tad guilty for his lateness, and for another reason, so he’d stayed a bit longer to help with prep for the next morning.

As he approached his driveway at just past 6 PM, he caught sight of Katniss out in her yard. After putting the car in park, he glanced down at the white bakery boxes with his golden signature label on the top setting in his passenger seat. He hoped the neighbor girl would like the goodies he’d baked for her, and he hoped that in some small way it made up for all he’d put her through this morning.

Peeta stacked one box atop the other, took them under his arm, and pushed open the car door. He stepped out, nudging the door shut with his arm, and looked over into Katniss’s yard. She was crouched in the grass in (what looked to be) her bare feet with her braid slung over her shoulder, tending a small garden. He smiled and headed across the street.

She hadn’t seen him yet, but he didn’t make it far before her ears pricked like a rabbit’s. She jerked her head up toward him.

“There she is, the Neighbor Girl with the Bacon.” Peeta grinned, and her eyes shot straight back down to the earth. Oh. Not quite the reaction he was going for. Maybe he should stop trying to be cute with her; obviously, Miss Everdeen didn’t appreciate that sort of thing. He decided to quit teasing her.

“Hey, Katniss,” he corrected, smiling sincerely.

“Hey.” Her eyes flitted away. “...Peeta.” She said his name with uncertainty, casting him a tight-lipped smile. Was he bothering her? Maybe. But it wasn’t exactly an unfriendly smile; it was more...shy. Cute.

He approached her slowly, goodie boxes tucked underneath his arm. She stood and brushed herself off, her gaze lowering briefly to the boxes.

Admittedly, today was a rather unproductive one for Peeta at the bakery, but only insofar as baking for his customers. The place had been moderately busy, and he’d actually done a lot of baking, but mostly for her. For Katniss Everdeen.

It had felt a tad wrong baking all day for another woman, even though he owed her one, so he’d also made Annie’s favorites‒macarons. He’d iced them in aqua, teal, and seafoam, her favorite colors, and added little fishes and bubbles (and kelp, of course‒the plant, not the dog). He’d also made another batch of sea salt and vanilla buttercream seashell ones.

Gratitude and Guilt baking. Both were a thing.

“I work in a bakery, and I baked you some stuff,” he told her, handing over one of the boxes like a nervous schoolboy with a valentine. “You know, as a thanks for all your help this morning.”

“Oh?” She blinked several times before reluctantly accepting the box. She stared down at her name, which he’d scrawled across the top, before glancing back up at him. “Thank you,” she said softly.

“You’re welcome.” He smiled. And since she made no move to open the box, he informed her of its contents. “They’re cupcakes. A variety of flavors, since I didn’t know what you liked. And also, macarons.” He knew his tiny girlfriend would never eat anywhere close to all the cookies he’d baked, so he’d set some aside for Katniss, who consequently was equally tiny, if not tinier. He’d decorated Katniss’s cookies differently than Annie’s because he believed each customer was unique, and he liked to get creative.

“I hope you like sweets,” he said.

“I do,” she replied immediately.

“Good.” He was relieved to hear that. “Now, I didn’t know your favorite color, so I kind of went with a rainbow assortment: pinks, reds, purples, blues, greens...”

“Green is my favorite color,” Katniss chimed in.

“Oh, good to know.” Peeta smiled at her. “Mine’s orange.”

“Really, orange? Like those construction signs off Highway 80?”

“Nope,” he chuckled. “More muted. Soft...like a sunset.”

She stared up at him almost reverently, or else she was trying not to laugh. Again, her eyes shot down to the box. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to. It was the least I could do. You helped me out a lot, you know.”

“Glad I could help,” she said quietly, staring down at her toes wiggling in the grass.

“Hope you’re not allergic to anything,” he went on to say.

She met his eyes. “No. No food allergies, aside from shrimp. There isn’t any shrimp in those cupcakes, is there?”

“No.” Peeta belly-laughed at her dry joke. “They weren’t a big seller down at the bakery, so we discontinued our shrimp-flavored ones.

This time, she laughed. It was a dulcet sound that made Peeta happy for some reason.

Katniss turned her head toward her house then, and he suspected she needed to go; although, he wasn’t quite ready for her to. Maybe it was partly because he was going home to an empty house, but he truly wanted to get to know her. Perhaps he could pilfer just a little more of her time...

“So, how are you, Katniss?” he asked, hoping to continue talking with her. “Not too tired out after this morning?”

That last part had just spilled out; it might’ve sounded a little weird.

But Katniss smiled. “No,” she said. And she could have ended it there, but she kept the conversation going. “What about you? I take it the rest of your day was less exciting?”

“Relatively so, yes.” He chuckled. “And how was the rest of your day, Miss Everdeen?”

“Fine.” She dug her big toe into the grass.

“You said you work from home, right? What do you do?”

“I’m the editor of a scientific journal. It’s an ecology journal.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.” Katniss’s mouth quirked slightly at his comment, then she shrugged. “I hope you were able to make up your work.”

“I was.”

He watched her continue poking at the ground with her foot, right next to a bed of flowers. Some of the soil appeared fresh and moist.

“Doing a little gardening?” he inquired.

“Yeah, I, uh...I like plants.”

Peeta folded his arms and nodded. “Hence the ecology editorship.”

“Yeah.” She was smileless once more. Probably growing tired of him disturbing her and wanting to get back to her garden or inside.

But Peeta was far too sociable for his own good, and sometimes he didn’t know when to quit. “Oh, I see you have basil there.” He pointed to the familiar plant.

She looked pleased. “You know it?”

“Sure. Being a baker, I have to know a little something about herbs and spices. I’ve never really grown them myself, but I use fresh ones at my bakery, so I at least know how to identify many of them.”

“Maybe you should grow some,” she suggested. “Could save you the extra cost of paying a distributor.”

“That’s very wise, Miss Everdeen. I’ll take that into consideration.”

“I can even give you some seeds,” she offered.

“Helping me out again?” He swore her cheeks flushed when he said so. Apparently, she was a modest one.

“So, what else do you have here?” he asked, sidling up next to her. His forearm brushed hers, and she didn’t move away, although she did rub her hands briskly against her pant legs.

“Ah, well…” She fidgeted a moment but soon perked up as she began naming off each plant in her little garden, scientific and layman names and their uses. There was basil, of course, also lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, mint, and dill. She had quite the lovely assortment of flowers as well. There were pale blue, white, and green hydrangeas, black-eyed Susans, daylilies, daisies. She showed him her morning glories, which were done blooming but would return, she said, and she told him all about the bloom periods for each species.

She’d been chatty up until reaching the last series of flowers in the row, an array of creamy yellow rosettes. “Evening primrose,” she told him. Oddly, she said nothing more about it. And he had to wonder why this particular flower had caused her entire demeanor to change.

Sensing her discomfort, and that she was done talking for the day, Peeta thanked Katniss for her time and for showing him her garden. Maybe he’d try talking to her again tomorrow.

He smiled at her then, told her to enjoy the baked goods, and said goodbye. But as he crossed the street, he glanced back over his shoulder. And he happened to catch her eyes on him. It was only a couple of seconds, though, before she jerked her head away and spun around, her braid thwacking against her back as she walked back to her house.

He watched her go, unable to help himself from cheerily calling out, “See you around, Neighbor Girl!” just prior to her shutting the door. A chuckle in his throat, Peeta jogged over to his house and bounded up the couple of steps leading to his front door.

* * *

**_Katniss_ **

Once inside, Katniss headed for the kitchen, clutching the pastry box in her hands and giving her heart a reverse pep talk‒it was beating way too fast right now. Why did her attractive neighbor have to show up unexpectedly like that? Okay, so it wasn’t so unexpected for him to come home from work, and any friendly person would greet their neighbor if they came into their direct line of vision and made eye contact. Normally, Katniss tried to avoid that, though. Except maybe with Mags, the sweet little old lady down the road.

But why did Peeta Mellark have to drop by and bring her baked goods? Oh yeah. She recalled him saying something about it this morning. It was his way of saying thanks for the help with Kelp. Why did he have to stay so long, though? And why did he have to look and smell so good?

So, he worked in a bakery. Well, that explained the scent‒God, his scent… As for her, she always seemed to be a mess and act like a dope around him. She groaned and rolled her eyes at herself.

It wasn’t fair. Every time she’d seen Peeta, even in casual loungewear, he’d looked good. Guys somehow seemed able to pull that off. But for a woman, there seemed to be a double-standard, a higher expectation for appearance at all times. It was wrong. A woman should have the right to look as crappy as she wants in her own yard without having to worry about hot bakers stopping by, bringing her treats and making her feel self-conscious and...and...gooey.

But the worst part of it was, she’d nearly told him about the namesake of her primroses. She’d held her tongue, though, because she didn’t like talking about her family, and he had no business knowing intimate details about her. She’d already told him enough for one day.

Normally, she wouldn’t reveal so much to a person she’d only just met, but he had a way about him. And she suspected he was capable of getting just about anyone to loosen their lips. As for her, she might be an open book, but only inasmuch as she wasn’t good about hiding her feelings, and people always seemed to discover her secrets before she knew them herself. It was her face that gave her away.

Katniss sighed and set the pastry box down on her kitchen counter. She inspected the Mellark’s logo and his careful handwriting once more before opening the box. And what was inside was nothing short of perfection.

The cupcakes and cookies, they were...the most beautiful creations she’d ever seen. He’d decorated them with lovely flowers and weaving vines, the details so intricate. It was like she had a mini garden inside the bakery box. How did he know? They’d only just talked about her garden and her love of plants moments ago. He must have seen her garden before. It made her wonder, had he been noticing her as she’d been noticing him?

Her hand hovered over the bakery treats, so beautiful and cozy inside their box that she almost hated to disturb them. They looked like they belonged behind glass, but they also looked too good not to eat. And Katniss Everdeen was not one to waste food, especially not good food.

It was a tough choice, but she finally settled on a chocolate cupcake with whipped green frosting, sprinkled with tiny, round, white and silver beads that almost looked like pearls. She wondered if they were edible. She stuck one in her mouth and rolled it around on her tongue, immediately tasting sugar. She chewed and swallowed the sweet, edible pearl then peeled back the cupcake wrapper and took a large bite.

It was almost indescribable. The sweetest chocolate she’d ever tasted mixed with the hint of something else, a spice, she couldn’t quite identify. Peeta Mellark was good alright. Damn good. She’d have to ask him for his recipe if that was allowed. Could be Top Secret for all she knew. And she wouldn’t blame him if so‒a cupcake this special and delicious shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Katniss stashed the bakery box away in her cupboard so as not to be tempted to finish off the entire thing all at once, and taking the remnants of her cupcake to the kitchen table, she savored it properly.

* * *

_**Peeta** _

Annie’s presentation had gone well, and she’d even called him from VSG before he went to bed, saying she was having a good time, so it was a bit unexpected when Peeta received a call at a quarter past 2 in the morning.

For a change, he’d been out cold, so his cell had buzzed insistently on his nightstand before waking him up. After a couple more obnoxiously loud buzzes, he fumbled for it, snatching it up just prior to it vibrating off the nightstand. Groggily, he answered. On the other end, he heard the unmistakable sound of a female gasping and crying.

He shot straight up in bed. “Annie? Annie, is that you?”

It was her, he knew it was. This wasn’t the first late-night call like this he’d received.

“Annie?”

She blubbered confirmation.

Softly, Peeta sighed. “Sweetheart, did you have a nightmare?”

Annie responded in the affirmative amid muffled noises, and Peeta imagined she was knotted up in her bedsheets, her face buried deep in Kelp’s fur. Oftentimes, Kelp was enough to get Annie back to sleep, but when she experienced a particularly bad nightmare, she would reach out to him. He’d talk her through it or hold her and stroke her hair if she was there with him.

Through choked out sobs, Annie related her nightmare to Peeta. He was able to make out most of what she muttered. But this was a recurring one of hers, so he was familiar with it, anyway. And he knew exactly what to do.

“I know, I know...shh, shhh,” he soothed. “Not real. Not real, babe.”

Peeta might wonder what had set off this particular bout of horrific images so close to home to Annie, but there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it. When a girl goes through such a traumatic experience as a teen, it’s bound to stick with her. Most people said Annie should have moved past the incident by now, but Peeta didn’t believe there was any timetable for grief. His Annie was a sensitive girl with a huge heart, and it wasn’t that simple.

He must have repeated ‘not real’ a dozen times before it sank in and her breathing began to even out.

“That’s it,” he assuaged. “That’s my girl.”

He could hear her soft breaths against the phone’s receiver now, though she didn’t speak.

“You want me to come over?” he asked after a moment.

“No, I’m fine,” she finally said, though a bit shakily.

“I’m coming over,” he asserted, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and reaching for the jeans he’d left folded over his armchair.

“No, Peeta, don’t.” He stopped short just as his bare feet hit the floor. “I’d feel awful if you lost any more sleep because of me.”

“Annie…”

She sighed. “It happens too often. There was yesterday morning with Kelp, and now…You always think of me, and I cause you nothing but trouble. I’m such a burden to you.”

“You’re not. Don’t say that, sweetheart.” He heard her sniffle in the background. “Ohh, no, please don’t be sad. It’s okay; I promise.”

“It’s not,” she countered. And he could hear the sadness in her tone. “It’s hard enough for you to get a good night’s sleep without…” Her words dropped off, lost.

“Listen, I love you, and that means I’m gonna be there for you in any way I can, for whatever you need.”

“I love you, too,” she whispered.

“And don’t worry about me. I don’t even have to work in the morning, so I’ll be able to sleep in.”

“Okay, good.”

Annie calmed down after that, and they talked a bit more. But it wasn’t long before he noticed the familiar signs of her drifting off to sleep. Gently, he whispered goodnight to her; she muttered it back, and he let her be the first to hang up.

Peeta was relieved to have been able to talk Annie down, and he supposed he did occasionally do her some good. So, maybe what he’d told Katniss about Annie only wanting Kelp during her episodes wasn’t entirely fair or accurate. Maybe she needed him, after all.

He didn’t sleep much after that, though, despite what he’d promised Annie. It was partially out of worry for her, but mostly, it was just hard for him to get back to sleep once he was awake. Sure, it would have been nice to sleep in on his day off, but he hadn’t been banking on it, even before her call. Sleep disorder aside, his body’s internal clock wouldn’t allow it at this point, and it was bound to chime loudly right about when it did. Just shy of 4 AM.

And since he was up and had nowhere to go, Peeta decided to do some baking. He’d been planning to, anyway.

***  
Less than two hours later, his place was filled with the strong, sweet scent of yeast and spices, which Peeta was so used to. Each ingredient was clearly identifiable to him by smell now, but he never really got sick of it. For him, the smell of freshly baked bread was home, and he believed no household was quite complete without it.

His work finished, Peeta kept the bread warm and occupied himself while waiting for the appropriate hour to make a social call on Katniss. He didn’t want to disturb her. But truth be told, he was bored out of his mind, and after cleaning himself up and a few quick sketches, he resorted to staring pathetically out the window like Kelp did when it was nearly time for her walk. He supposed this was what came of a restless night when he didn’t have to work and there was no Annie to snuggle up to, Kelp-willing.

It wasn’t so bad, though. It looked like a nice day; the sun had just risen and was glinting brightly against the grass and pavement, and Peeta had a great vantage point of the two main streets comprising his new neighborhood. There were some early risers out, mainly middle-aged and older couples walking their dogs or power-walking for exercise. When he saw her come out of her house, he smiled.

This morning she was dressed in cut-off jean shorts, another solid-colored tank top, and flip flops, but she quickly kicked them off in favor of her bare feet. That made him smile even harder.

Peeta liked Katniss. Only a normal amount, or well, perhaps a little more than the average neighbor. She was interesting, and he enjoyed talking with her, even if she was a woman of few words. That was okay because he could more than make up for it on his end.

Even though he’d been waiting and waiting, Peeta decided not to be too eager and gave Katniss the opportunity to go about her morning routine: walking around in the grass in her bare feet, collecting her newspaper, watering her plants. He happened to catch her looking over toward his house once, and he hoped to God she hadn’t seen him looking out his window. He didn’t want to get a reputation as the neighborhood creeper.

Of course, watching her like this was pushing the line a little.

Once she’d gone inside, Peeta gave it ten more minutes before heading over, warmed bread in tow. As he crossed the street, he considered asking Katniss for her number so he could text her from now on rather than just show up. It was kind of rude doing so, not that this would be a regular thing. Maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself. He didn’t even know if Katniss liked his company or if she’d just been humoring him.

In case it happened to be the latter, or if he was, in fact, disturbing her, Peeta decided to ring the bell once then leave the bread on the doorstep. He hoped she’d answer, though. If nothing else, bread was always better fresh and hot from the oven.

Katniss did open the door, and the expression on her face told him right away that she was shocked to see his face behind it. She didn’t look put-out, though, only slightly...uncomfortable. Even so, she politely invited him in, taking the bread with thanks and offering him a cup of coffee.

“Oh, thanks, but I never touch the stuff,” he told her. _Damn, Peeta. Way to be ungrateful._

But Katniss’s lips simply twitched, and she offered him tea instead.

“Perfect,” he said with a smile.

She encouraged him to sit at her kitchen table, and he did so. Then she offered him a choice from her wide selection of teas. Of those, he chose a black tea, Darjeeling, since he could use a little pick-me-up after last night.

“Good choice,” she said, actually smiling at him. Her full-on smile was rare (in his limited experience) but so bright. “That’s the one I like, too. At least this brand.”

“I kinda figured you had good taste,” he quipped. Her smile dropped off then, her gray eyes darting towards the cupboards. What an idiot he was to make such a stupid comment!

He was about to apologize, give her some excuse about not being fully awake, when she asked casually, “How do you take it?”

“Oh. Unsweetened, please.”

Katniss nodded and began preparing the hot water. Her eyes flickered between him and her mint green tea kettle. “You look tired,” she remarked.

She was an observant one, for sure. He’d been attempting to appear lively and engaged; he’d even been holding back a yawn since his arrival, but she’d noticed. It was probably his eyes; they always gave him away, the darkness underneath. Or, perhaps she was reading his mind.

“Yeah, I am a little,” he admitted.

“Up partying last night?” she deadpanned.

Her sudden humor surprised him. “Uh, not quite.” He laughed, but when her eyes met his, they seemed to show...concern for him.

“Oh, hey, let me help you,” he diverted, rising from his seat.

“No, no, that’s okay,” she insisted as he reached for the kettle. The sides of their bodies brushed, and he noticed hers tense up beside him.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling back stepping aside. He shot her a disarming grin and rubbed the back of his neck.

“It’s okay,” she muttered, going to the cupboard. She seemed to ponder her choices for a moment before snatching out a particular mug. It was burnt orange in color. He smiled at the back of her as she poured steaming water into the mug.

Katniss brought the mug to the table and set it before him, along with a package of tea, a paper towel, and a tea spoon. “I know it’s not the color orange you like, but this is the closest I had.”

She was adorable. And he couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off his face.

“Thanks, Katniss. It wasn’t necessary.” Still grinning, he picked up the mug by the handle for a closer look. “You know, I think this is actually a very nice shade. Very earthy. I might have to alter my favorite color a little.” The corners of her lips twitched.

She prepared her own cup of tea next, a vanilla chai, and placed it on the table across from him. She then brought the bread he’d made, some butter and jam, a large knife, and two small plates. “Would you like anything else?” she asked.

“No, this is great, Katniss,” he said as he unfolded the cloth his bread was wrapped in and began cutting it into thick (but not too thick), generous slices. He placed a slice on her plate and one on his own.

“So, you like vanilla?” he asked as she sat across from him and blew on her tea.

“Yes. For tea, anyway. But I prefer chocolate.” She took a sip, and Peeta nodded.

“By the way, your cupcake was very good. I ate the chocolate one with green icing.”

Peeta beamed. “I’m really glad you liked it.”

That cupcake had actually been an inspiration. He hadn’t known why at the time, but he’d gotten a sudden vision of that particular one in his head while thinking of Katniss Everdeen. He considered telling her he’d specifically had her in mind when he decorated it, but perhaps it was too soon for such confessions.

Their eyes locked for a moment or two; then she glanced away. They both went about eating the bread and sipping at their tea.

“So, what kind of bread is this?” Katniss asked, focusing on her slice and tracing her finger along the brown swirl in the center.

“This, Katniss, is marble rye bread. But if you’re in the mood for something a little different, next time I’ll bring cheese buns.”

 _Next time_...

He hoped he wasn’t pressing his luck.

* * *

_**Katniss** _

Since the day he brought her the bread, Katniss had encountered Peeta sporadically. Sometimes it was a casual wave and a hi as he left for work or returned home. Sometimes she caught a glimpse of him‒and as much as she hated to admit, she tried to‒when he was out jogging. Other times, he’d stop by her yard for a quick, friendly chat. And sometimes she saw him on one of his walks with Kelp. That’s when she knew Annie was over. She steered clear of him during those times.

Katniss had finally seen Annie, and no surprise, she was gorgeous. She’d been out walking Kelp one day, and Katniss had been unable to help stopping to observe her. Annie was a cute, tiny yet shapely thing dressed, that day, in black and peach fitted workout attire, her wavy, dark auburn hair thrown up in a high ponytail. She would alternate between walking Kelp and sprinting with her to the stop sign at the end of the intersection. After the sprints, Annie would always crouch down, pull something out of her pocket, and extend her hand to Kelp. A treat, Katniss assumed. Kelp would take the treat gently then chomp it down while Annie ruffled the golden fur atop her head.

Katniss had yet to see the three of them together, but she imagined it was quite the pretty picture. Annie, Peeta, and Kelp certainly seemed like the perfect little suburban American family. All they needed was a white picket fence.

Katniss shrugged it off. So her life wasn’t like that? That didn’t mean she had a bad life, not entirely. She had good things in her life, too. Sometimes it took her a moment to think of them; she even recited them in her head in a monotonous fashion at times, but they were there. She considered doing so now.

Just then, Peeta materialized from his house, his neck turning from side to side. Looking for his family, she assumed. When he saw Annie and Kelp down the road, he waved at them. Kelp barked happily and gave a tug-tug on her leash but didn’t take off running as she probably would have if Peeta were holding the leash. And Annie proceeded to lead Kelp back toward Peeta’s house.

As if anticipating what Peeta would do next‒look over at her house‒Katniss slipped away quietly before he had the chance to make eye contact with her. With a sigh, she shut her front door.

She was doing it again, being an antisocial neighbor. But this time, she felt it was justified. Peeta Mellark had his life, and she had hers, and there was really no place for either of them in each other’s.

***  
After successfully avoiding any real contact with Peeta for nearly two weeks, Katniss saw him pass by her house with Kelp while out in her garden. Again, she tried to sneak away so she wouldn’t have to talk to him, but she’d been seated, and the crazy mutt saw her as she got up. Kelp’s head jerked toward Katniss, and her tail began to whip back and forth. She gave two loud barks in greeting, and Peeta turned his head toward her.

 _Crap_.

Peeta waved; she threw up a static one in response, and he started heading over, jogging over, actually as if he expected her to run away again. He was smart. Oh great, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. It wasn’t that she didn’t like talking to Peeta; she just didn’t know how much longer she could keep up this...act.

Standing before her, Peeta greeted her with a nonchalant “Hey.”

“Hey,” she replied, reaching out to pet Kelp. The lab responded by licking her hand.

“How are you?” he asked, a look of true interest in his blue eyes.

“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Peeta swallowed, then cleared his throat. “So, I, uh...hope I didn’t do anything to offend you.”

“Of course not.”

“Okay, good. Because it kinda seems like...like, oh, I don’t know, like you’ve been avoiding me.” He grinned sheepishly.

_Damn, he noticed. Of course, he did._

Katniss’s eyes flitted away.

“So, I guess it is true.” His expression was half-embarrassed, half-pained.

“It’s not what you think.” She shook her head vehemently. “It’s just...I just…I’m not...” _Good at these things…_

“You don’t need to explain, Katniss. I just hope I didn’t give you the wrong impression or anything.”

She kept her eyes locked on him, doing her best not to falter. “You didn’t.”

“Good.” He heaved a sigh. “I didn’t mean to come on so strong, you know; I just...well…” He tugged at an unruly blond curl that lay across his forehead. “Hey!” He clapped his hands together. “Can we start over?”

The corner of her lip twitched. “Sure.”

“Okay, good.” He smiled, paused a moment for effect, then continued. “Hey, Katniss. How are you this fine day?”

Smirking, she played along. “I’m well, Peeta.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“And you?” She tucked back a loose strand of hair.

“Peachy.” He grinned. “Thanks for asking.” He inhaled then, shifting slightly as he released it. “So, here’s the thing, neighbor. I’ve been meaning to tell you...last time I was at your house, I noticed you had a screw loose.”

Katniss made a noise in her throat.

 _Really, Peeta? A screw?_ A screw which he hadn’t mentioned while he was there nor any of the other times he’d seen her around. But then again, she hadn’t given him much of a chance…

Oddly, it was the screw that broke the ice. In that moment, Katniss decided to stop being a coward. So what if she liked him and couldn’t have him? Big deal. That didn’t mean she should freeze him out. That was just juvenile.

“Is this your way of telling me you think I’m crazy, Peeta?” she joked. Kelp gave a low growl as if she understood and was on Katniss’s side, and Peeta laughed heartily.

“You’re funny, Katniss,” he said. She stared blankly at him. “No, really. You have a great sense of humor.”

“I don’t think anyone’s ever told me that before.” And it was the truth. “In fact, my uncle says I have the personality of a dead slug.”

Peeta barked out a laugh. “Ouch. What a mean uncle you have!” She shrugged. “Well, that’s certainly not true. You’re a delight, Katniss.”

Her cheeks toasted up instantly.

“So, yeah, the screw…,” he continued, breaking the silence which had crept up after his compliment. “To your cupboard door. Wouldn’t want that thing popping out. Could be very dangerous. I can tighten it up for you if you want.”

“Do you think I’m incapable of using a screwdriver, Peeta?” she shot back, more amused than angry.

“That’s not what I meant...” He rubbed the back of his neck like she’d seen him do several times. “I just, uh, wanted to be neighborly.”

“You’ve been more than neighborly, Peeta. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many baked goods in my entire life. You don’t need to do anything more.”

And there it was. She’d given him the perfect opportunity to draw back, close the curtain between them, and withdraw completely from her life. As little involvement as he had in her life...

But her mind, or maybe her heart, protested. _Shut up, Katniss!_ whatever part of her it was railed on her. _Are you crazy?_

Was she?

Was she actually turning down an offer from the guy she liked to come over and help her with a household task? What was wrong with her? Okay, so it wasn’t exactly something she needed help with, and it would take no time at all to tighten the screw, but at least she’d have an excuse to see him again…

Because you’re not one of those vapid bimbos who pretends to be helpless in order to get a guy’s attention, she reminded herself.

But he’d offered. Did he think she was helpless? No, he didn’t seem like the chauvinistic type. So, did that mean he...wanted to come over? And it was just an excuse, to see her? Katniss’s heart leaped into her throat, but it quickly plummeted right back down when she remembered one very crucial little detail...

 _He has a girlfriend_.

No, he didn’t want to come over for her. He must still feel indebted to her.

“You’ve more than repaid me for helping you catch Kelp, Peeta,” she said rather coldly. “You don’t need to do anything else.”

“Oh, that’s...,” Peeta tugged on his ear. Another habit? “It’s not because of that.” He was shifting around and making very little eye contact with her. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was nervous. But no, surely not. Not Peeta Mellark. Not her hunky, confident neighbor.

“It’s just...well, okay, I’ll be honest. I enjoyed having breakfast with you the other week, and I thought maybe…,” he shrugged, “maybe we could be friends.”

Katniss was floored. So, it was an excuse. Of course, it was. Just not for the reason she’d suspected.

 _Friends_ , she paused to consider.

She should probably tell him no. Even though he was only asking to be friends with her, it was probably a very bad idea considering her attraction to him. Not that she couldn’t control herself, but it would just be...unpleasant. She watched him a moment, fighting the urge to smile. It was rather entertaining seeing him so squirmy and unsure of himself. Although, she couldn’t understand why he was. She was the one harboring the inappropriate crush.

“Okay,” she finally conceded. “You can help me fix the cupboard.”

“Really?” He perked up at that, causing Kelp to yelp at the higher pitch his voice had taken.

“Yeah. I guess...,” she one-arm shrugged, “I guess it is more of a two-person job.”

Peeta smiled warmly.

***  
The next day, as promised, Peeta stopped over after work to help her fix the cupboard. She let him do the ‘dirty work,’ so to speak, as easy as that was; he tightened the screw while she held the door steady for him. The job was done in no time at all, but afterward, Peeta stuck around. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was lonely. Maybe when Annie wasn’t around he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Throughout his visit, Peeta talked. He talked a lot. Barely stopped, in fact. But Katniss was glad for that. It meant less talking she had to do. She learned a lot about him that day. In addition to his favorite color and the fact that he never took sugar in his tea, she learned some other interesting tidbits. Like, he always slept with the windows open. She wasn’t even sure how that one came up, but now she knew.

Naturally, he told her more about his job and his hobbies–he was a baker and a painter; he used to wrestle in high school. And of course, he talked a great deal about Annie. This particular subject was not a favorite of Katniss’s, but she slapped on a smile and let him talk. She even managed to make a few polite comments and ask a question or two. But truth be told, her stomach plummeted each time he mentioned her, and along with it dissolved any hope of ever being more than friends with him. He was clearly a man in love with his girlfriend, and she was clearly pathetic.

Annie seemed terrific. And of course, she was. How else would she land a guy like Peeta? Apparently, she was sweet and smart. Loved the beach. A natural-born swimmer. But she didn’t swim anymore. Katniss didn’t ask why, and Peeta didn’t tell. He didn’t talk about why Annie needed Kelp, either, only said that when she got upset or had nightmares Kelp calmed her down.

 _Nightmares_ , those were something Katniss was intimately acquainted with. She’d never thought about getting a therapy dog, but she wondered...what would it be like having a pair of strong arms surrounding her when she had one? Would it comfort her? Would it take them away? She doubted it, although she imagined it would be nice. But then again, no one’s arms had made her feel safe since her father, so why should his be any different?

***  
There must be something about talking about nightmares because a few days later, Katniss had one. A bad one. She hadn’t experienced one like this in a while, and until tonight, she’d foolishly held out hope that she was past them.

Katniss jolted awake mid-scream, her adrenaline still surging. Sweaty and panting, she oriented herself to her surroundings. She was in her room, in her bed. She gripped the comforter tight between her fists, grounding herself. That’s when she heard clunking sounds on the stairs, and a large, dark figure appeared in the hallway…

She let out a little yelp and dangled her arm over the side of the bed, preparing to reach for the weapon she concealed beneath it. But then, she saw who it was.

Despite his hazy appearance, she’d know him anywhere. She strained to get a better look to confirm; that’s when she caught the moonlight bouncing off his blond curls, illuminating them.

“Peeta!” she called out into the darkened room. She had no idea why he was here or how he’d even gotten in, but she was glad to see him.

“Katniss...are you alright?” he asked, stepping into the doorway. She noticed his chest was heaving, and he was panting faintly as if he’d been running.

“Yes,” she gasped, bobbing her head up and down. Realizing a little late that she was in her sleepwear, she pulled the covers up higher. “Wh-what are you doing here?”

He’d nearly scared the life out of her. To wake from a dream like that only to see a dark figure lurking in the hallway, approaching her room… Of course, once she’d seen it was him she’d been oddly comforted.

“I…” Still catching his breath, he ran both hands through his hair. The gesture was so boyishly endearing she forgot for a moment to be angry with him for bursting in.

“I...I was outside your house when I heard you scream,” he finally explained. “I thought you might be in trouble, so I, uh, broke your door in...”

“What?” _God, he’s strong._

“I’m sorry. But don’t worry, I can fix it.”

“Okay…” Katniss fidgeted with a loose tendril of hair that had fallen across her face. “Um...what were you doing outside my house, anyway?”

“I was out taking a walk.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“Yeah. I have chronic insomnia, and sometimes it helps to take a nightly walk. I either do that or bake.”

She nodded.

So, he suffered from disturbed sleep, too. No wonder he always looked a little tired. He masked it well with his vivaciousness, but she could see it. She wondered what the root of his insomnia was.

Mentally digressing, Katniss sucked in a bit of air. “Well, thank you, Peeta, for your concern, but it was just a nightmare...I have them sometimes.”

“Me too.” He pressed his lips together as he leaned against her door frame. “It’s awful, isn’t it, feeling sleep-deprived?”

“Sure is,” she agreed.

“Most nights I can’t sleep well, and then I have to get up early to go to the bakery.” He shifted in the doorway then stepped cautiously into the room.

“I’m sorry about your insomnia and your nightmares,” she said.

“I’m sorry about yours, too. And your door.”

“It’s okay.”

“About that…” He took a couple of steps forward, and Katniss shifted beneath the covers. Knowing he was here and she wasn’t wearing a lot made a blush rise up her sweaty neck. “I can’t really fix it now,” he said. “I don’t want to make a racket and wake the neighbors up. I’ve already annoyed them enough.”

Katniss smiled at the indirect reference to their search for Kelp.

“But you made up for it, didn’t you?” She recalled him telling her he’d brought leftover cookies to the neighbors that day.

“Oh, I don’t know if my baked goods quite make up for all that.”

“They do, trust me,” she assured. He smiled.

“So, yeah, I was thinking that…,” he fidgeted nervously then shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweats, “maybe I should stay here tonight…”

Katniss gaped at him.

“Downstairs on the couch, of course.”

“But...why? Why would you stay?”

“Well, your door is broken.” He motioned toward the stairs leading down to it. “I can fix it in the morning, but anyone could just come in as is.”

 _Apparently_. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” She waved him off

“But I really don’t think I should leave you alone. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

It was sweet. Really sweet. And as much as she might like him to stay, not downstairs on the couch, but here with her, in this room, in her very bed, she knew she had no right to ask. He had a girlfriend; she needed to keep that in mind.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m a big girl, Peeta. And this is a safe neighborhood.” Deciding to lighten the mood a little, she added, “aside from this small thing recently about neighbors breaking into houses...”

Peeta grinned. “Oh yeah, I heard about the incident. It poses a real problem, but I hear the guy who did it is duly remorseful.”

“So he says.” They exchanged smiles.

“Anyway,” Katniss glanced away, tugging her comforter up even higher, “you should get home to Annie.”

“She’s at her place tonight.”

 _Oh_.

Admittedly, Katniss was torn. It seemed weird to agree; this man was practically a perfect stranger to her. But somehow, she trusted him. Her instincts told her he was a good guy, and her instincts were usually right. However, she needed to consider his girlfriend. She’d never met Annie, so all she could do was put herself in her place. And she wouldn’t like it one bit if Peeta were hers.

Still, his presence had instantly put her at ease, and she wondered...would having him in the house help her fall asleep? Was she being crazy to even consider it? Or, could she really ask him to stay?


	3. Domesticated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Katniss ask Peeta to stay? More bonding for Everlark, and a few mishaps occur. Katniss struggles with her feelings, but her neighbor, Mags, might have just the solution for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games series and its characters.

_**Katniss** _

Katniss had decided. Whether Peeta’s presence might be able to comfort her or not, she had no right asking him to stay. And besides, she wasn’t so sure she wanted him seeing her in such a vulnerable state.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Peeta,” she told him. “As innocent as it may be, it’s not right for you to be in another woman’s house in the middle of the night. Annie...she wouldn’t be okay with it.”

Katniss knew _she_ wouldn’t be okay with it if he were hers…

“I think Annie would understand my trying to do the right thing by my neighbor.”

Katniss sighed. Yes, Annie seemed fantastic. And she wasn’t even thinking it in a sarcastic way; she believed it.

“Well, um…” She didn’t know what to do. Why was it so hard to tell him no?

Peeta was watching her, insisting with those amazing eyes of his, which twinkled like little stars in the darkness. Was there really any harm in letting him sleep on her couch if it brought him peace of mind?

“I guess…you could…just for tonight.” It sounded funny, as if he was a stray dog she was giving a warm bed to for the night. Not to mention, adding the last part was stupid; it wasn’t like he was planning on making it more than just tonight.

But Peeta didn’t comment on that, only smiled broadly and said, “Thanks, Katniss.”

He was thanking her for letting him ‘protect’ her? Not like she needed it; she had a deadly weapon under her bed. Maybe she should tell him so. Or, maybe, like other things, she should hang onto that secret a while longer.

“There are, um,” Katniss sucked in a bit of air, “some sheets and a blanket and extra pillows in that closet over there.” She pointed. Manners dictated she should get them for him herself, but she didn’t want to get up. Due to the heat, she wasn’t wearing a whole lot underneath the blanket. Less than that morning Kelp went missing.

“Thank you.” He smiled and headed over to the closet.

She couldn’t believe her neighbor, Peeta Mellark, was planning to spend the night. And she couldn’t believe she was going to allow it. Not that it was anything to get nervous or excited about; it was nothing, simply an entirely too chivalrous man doing what he thought to be his civic duty, apparently.

Which gave her pause.

“You know, you’re too nice, Peeta,” she said. He tossed her a smile back over his shoulder, but she was serious. “You should really be careful about being too friendly with the neighbors.”

“Why’s that?” He grinned amusedly.

“Because,” she muttered, staring down at her bunched up comforter. “People might get the wrong idea.”

“Are you worried some underappreciated housewife or lonely divorcée is going to try and jump my bones?”

Her jaw dropped at his remark. She couldn’t believe he’d just said that!

“No…,” she muttered, cheeks aflame. “Why would I be worried about that?”

“I was only kidding, Katniss.” Peeta chuckled and squeezed her spare pillow against his broad chest. She might never wash that pillow again… “Besides, I don’t really do these types of things for the other neighbors.”

Well, that made it even worse.

She decided it best not to reply, and Peeta gathered up the pillow and a blanket in his massive arms, his muscles flexing in the moonlight. “Well, goodnight, Katniss.”

He was just stepping through her doorway when she called out for him. “Peeta.” He turned back. “Will you...stay with me?”

Katniss screwed her eyes shut, in utter disbelief over what she’d just blurted out. Had she actually voiced what she’d been thinking? She shouldn’t have. It was wrong.

But his presence put her so at ease, and somehow, she felt like if he was in the room, she might be able to get some rest. That is unless her heart was beating through her chest the whole night...

Her eyes shot to the comforter. “Just until I fall asleep. Talk to me?”

“Yeah. Of course.” She watched him put down the pillow and blanket and go for her armchair, lifting it with ease and placing it nearer to her bed. He brought the footstool over, too, and plopped into the chair, sighing a little as he settled in. He removed his shoes and propped his feet up on the footstool as if he’d done it a hundred times. “What do you want to talk about?” he asked, placing his hands behind his head and rotating his neck slightly to look at her.

Katniss shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Just talk to me about anything.” She laid her head back against her pillow and stared up at the ceiling a moment before chancing a glance at him. His lips were pressed together in sympathy.

Peeta then began telling her about his hobby of painting, how he mixed his paints together to get just the right shade and which subjects had given him the most trouble. When he exhausted that topic, he told her about a new recipe he was working on and the various trials and errors he’d been through. The sound of his voice was soothing, and it wasn’t long after that Katniss’s eyelashes were fluttering and a rare, pleasant, sleepy sensation was closing in on her.

Before she knew what was happening, the sun’s rays were glinting through her window. And Peeta was gone.

Briefly, Katniss felt disappointed, that is until she smelled something delicious wafting up from the stairwell. She hung her legs over the bed and stood, grabbed a robe, and headed for the stairs. Whipping her robe around her, she descended the stairs, and as she did so, she heard sizzling coming from around the corner. Someone was cooking in her kitchen. Either it was Peeta, or one of those persons Peeta was worried about breaking in, who’d apparently decided to forego robbing her and had, instead, decided to make themselves a hearty breakfast.

Katniss peeked around the corner and saw the unmistakable backside of her neighbor, Peeta Mellark. He was at the stove, cooking, and he had her apron around his waist. It barely tied, but it did the trick, and it actually looked pretty cute on him. Smirking, Katniss observed him for several seconds without making her presence known. Then she gently cleared her throat.

Peeta turned to look at her. His hair was tousled, and she noticed a thin sheen upon his forehead, probably from cooking, but otherwise, he was perfect as usual. He looked fresh, even had different clothes on. How did that happen?

“Oh, Katniss, good morning!”

 _Is he always so chipper in the morning?_ She wondered. _Oh yeah, baker. Baker equals morning person, whether by disposition or necessity._

“Good morning, Peeta,” she muttered shyly, pulling her robe tight and cinching it. She really should have thrown some clothes on before heading downstairs. Of course, she always walked around her yard like this, in plain sight of him, so it wasn’t like it was anything he hadn’t seen…

However, right now, they weren’t waving to each other from a distance or having a quick exchange; he was seeing her up close. And suddenly, she felt self-conscious, especially considering how thin her robe was. Not to mention the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Again. Why did she consistently end up braless around him?

“How are you feeling this morning?” Peeta asked.

“Good.” And honestly, she was. She’d gotten more sleep than she normally did. She supposed her theory about having him there was correct. “How are you, Peeta?” she asked softly.

“I’m great, actually,” he chirped. “Haven’t slept that well in ages. That armchair of yours must have magical qualities!”

He slept in her armchair all night long?

“My armchair?” She hoped he meant the one downstairs.

“Yeah, the green one.” Oh, the one in her bedroom… “I, uh,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I confess, I sort of fell asleep in your room. I didn’t mean to, and I got up and went downstairs as soon as I woke up.”

“It’s okay.” She just hoped to God she didn’t snore or drool or talk in her sleep or do something equally embarrassing.

“You’re a very quiet sleeper, Katniss,” Peeta commented as if reading her mind. “I admit, and don’t be creeped out by this, but I had to check to make sure you were breathing in the morning when I woke up.”

_What?!_

Katniss’s body warmed, and she began to tingle in places she didn’t want to think about with Peeta standing in the middle of her kitchen looking so pure.

But what did he mean, he made sure she was breathing? Did he get down close to her face and observe her?

“Just for a few seconds,” said he. “And when I saw your chest rising and felt your breath on my hand, I knew you were okay.”

Oh, my god. He was watching her chest and checking for breath? Who does that?

It seemed a weirdo truly had broken into her house last night. And now he was making breakfast in her kitchen… Peeta may be cute, but that was definitely a little creepy.

“Uh, I know it sounds weird.”

Well, yeah!

“I...guess I should explain.” He chuckled nervously. “See, I have this anxiety over...people dying...in their sleep, specifically.” He averted his eyes and focused on flipping the eggs in the pan, rather obsessively. “Especially when I care about the person...I do it with Annie.”

She ignored the part about Annie and focused on the other part. He cared about her?

Katniss did her best to tamp down the unexpected happiness bubbling inside. Strangely, she felt almost giddy, an emotion she never expressed outwardly and hadn’t had any reason to even feel in a long time.

“I hope you’re not mad,” said Peeta, finally meeting her eyes. His were so damn blue. He truly was the boy next door; he had the look down pat, anyway.

She shook her head. “No, I’m not mad.”

“Good,” he said, his mouth quirking into a lopsided grin. “Your eggs are done.”

Peeta scooped some perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs onto a plate, along with two strips of bacon and two sausage links. No pastries, huh? That was surprising, although this was more than plenty for her.

“It looks extremely unhealthy, I know, but I made all these things from scratch and using some healthy alternatives, so it’s not so bad. I mean, not like eating a piece of fruit or anything, but not a million calories, either. ...Not that you need to worry about that,” he added quietly.

“Oh, um, thanks. From scratch, really?”

“Yeah, I was up early. Not as early as usual, but early for most people, so I grabbed a few ingredients from my house‒didn’t want to use yours‒and came back here to cook. Don’t worry, I’ll do the dishes.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Nonsense, Katniss.” He grinned. “I clean up after my messes.”

She smiled faintly at him. She didn’t deserve this, at all, but she wasn’t about to let such a delicious display of domesticity go to waste.

Peeta exhaled. “So, I was going to fix your door before you got up, but I thought it would wake you. Also, I need to run to the store for a few things I didn’t have at my house, but it won’t take long. I can do that now.”

“But Peeta, don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Like the bakery...or with Annie...

He shook his head. “Nah, I need to take care of this first.”

“It’s really not necessary…”

“It is, Katniss,” he insisted. “I told you, I clean up after my messes. Besides, they can live without me at the bakery for a while. They’re not completely helpless. And remember,” he pointed at his chest, “in charge. It has its benefits.”

Katniss smirked. “I’m sure it does.”

“So, anyway, I promise to fix your door right away.” He moved as if he was going to leave now, and she didn’t want him to.

“Peeta...you don’t have to go right this second. You can...sit down and eat breakfast...with me first. I mean, if you don’t have anywhere else to be...” Like with Annie…

The corner of Peeta’s mouth twitched. “Nowhere at all. Why thank you, Katniss.”

“No, thank you. You’re the one who made it.” They smiled at one another, and Katniss carried her plate over to her kitchen table. Peeta made one for himself and pulled up the chair across from her.

Katniss’s eyes focused on her food the moment he sat down, but she could feel the heat of his gaze upon her. She looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes, and he motioned as if he wanted her to eat first.

Katniss forked a few clumps of egg and took a bite. As soon as a piece hit her tongue, her mouth filled with saliva, her taste buds being suddenly smacked with a warm, spicy flavor she couldn’t place, in addition to the typical taste of egg.

She chewed thoroughly. “What did you put in the eggs?” she asked once finished with the bite.

Peeta’s brow furrowed up. “Oh, I hope it’s okay, but I added some chives and basil.” Of course. She felt stupid for not recognizing the common green herbs. “And just a smidgen of cheddar cheese. You only mentioned being allergic to shrimp; God, I hope you aren’t…”

Katniss shook her head. “No, just the shrimp as I said. Don’t worry, Peeta. You won’t have to be running me to the hospital for an epinephrine shot.” She was teasing; although, Peeta probably would do it, knowing his track record of killing her with kindness.

“Good,” Peeta huffed in relief. And Katniss couldn’t help but smile.

Ever the golden, good guy. He was so worried about things like mystery assailants breaking into her house (after he already had), waking her too early, and giving her allergic reactions...

“I was just asking because it’s good, Peeta.”

“Oh.” He chuckled. “Well, I’m glad.”

* * *

**_Peeta_ **

After fixing Katniss’s door, which turned out to be trickier than he’d thought‒he really did a number on the thing when he broke in‒Peeta headed to the bakery. He’d checked in several times, and everything had seemed to be going fine. Of course, there were a couple of graduations and a wedding coming up, so he thought he’d stop by, work part of his shift, at least. Even though he’d given Katniss the whole ‘I’m the boss’ routine a couple of times, he still felt guilty for skipping out on his employees twice.

Things seemed to be going well when he arrived, and no one jumped on him immediately about some emergency, which he took as a good sign. He checked the progress of the graduation and wedding cakes, put in a little extra detailing for good measure, and then spent the rest of his time doing a little prep for tomorrow and some cleaning.

When he arrived home, Annie was there waiting on his couch with Kelp.

“Hey, hon,” he greeted as he leaned down to peck her lips.

“Hey, how was your day?”

“Oh, it was…” Peeta paused. All of a sudden, he felt on the spot, and he didn’t quite know what to say. He’d planned on telling Annie about spending the night at Katniss’s, but he hadn’t really rehearsed it yet. It was innocent, yes, but it was an unusual circumstance. And things like this needed to be handled...delicately. “Fine. Everything was fine. All’s going accordingly for the upcoming events.”

 _Coward!_ He mentally berated.

 _I’m going to tell her!_ He argued with himself.

Several seconds passed before Peeta looked down to see his girlfriend’s gorgeous green eyes scrutinizing him, the corner of her mouth upturned slightly. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes, fine,” he sputtered.

Annie cocked her head. “You sure? You seem a little weird. Nervous.”

Oh, God, she saw right through him. Truth be told, he was sweating bullets. Maybe not physically, but he was definitely, definitely nervous.

But this was Annie. Kind, sweet, understanding Annie. She’d know it didn’t mean anything, and she wouldn’t hold it against him.

Peeta planted himself on the couch, a bit too roughly. He apologized as Annie scooched aside to make room for him.

“What’s with you, babe?” she asked, a look of concern taking root in her eyes.

Peeta sucked in a breath, and before he lost his nerve, he decided to just come out with it. “I-spent-the-night-at-my-neighbor-Katniss’s-last-night,” he blurted out in one quick string of words.

Annie flinched visibly, her eyes widening in...horror, disgust, confusion? Or, some combination of the three?

“Wait,” Peeta threw up his hands, “That didn’t come out right. I mean, yes, that’s what happened, but it’s not…” He shook his head. Dammit. Why had he suddenly lost the ability for coherent speech?

Annie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, eyeing him suspiciously and moving away from him on the couch. “You...you cheated on me?” Now she looked about ready to cry, and Peeta felt like shit.

“No! Never, sweetheart!” He reached out for her, but she evaded his hands. “It’s not...not what you’re thinking! Please, please just let me explain.”

Annie’s back was pressed against the arm of the couch now; she was as far from him as she could possibly be while remaining on the couch. Her nostrils flared slightly, and she pressed her lips together before calmly, albeit with a slight shake to her voice, saying, “Okay, explain.”

Peeta harshly rubbed the back of his neck several times, then began, “So, I couldn’t sleep last night and decided to take a walk. I was walking past Katniss’s house when I heard her scream. I thought she was in danger, so I broke into her house.” Annie’s eyes widened at that part. Peeta continued, “She was okay; she only had a nightmare. Well, I was going to just leave, but her door was broken. I didn’t feel right leaving her alone with a broken door, especially when it was my fault, so I told her I’d fix it in the morning...and I...offered to stay there, for her protection. She agreed to it, so I stayed over there and fixed her door in the morning.”

Annie nodded slowly. “I see.” She paused, seemingly contemplating something. “Where...where did you...sleep, Peeta?”

Peeta chanced moving a little closer, and he placed a hand on Annie’s thigh. She let him touch her this time, so she must at least believe his story so far. “In her armchair.”

Again, Annie nodded.

“I was going to sleep on her couch downstairs, but she had a nightmare, and she asked me to talk to her a little. So, I did. And I fell asleep in her chair.”

Ugh, Peeta. Was that really necessary to tell her all that? There’s such a thing as too much honesty!

“I see…you know, you’re good at that, talking people down after a nightmare,” she murmured, sounding so brokenhearted that it killed him.

With a sigh, Peeta rested both hands on her shoulders. “Please don’t read anything into it, sweetheart.”

She shook her head. “I’m not.”

Peeta tightened his jaw. Was she really not? “Katniss and I are just friends. And I was just trying to be a good guy, Annie.”

“I know.” She gave him a soft smile. “And you are a good guy, Peeta.”

He took her hands in his. “Please believe me. Nothing happened.”

“I do believe you, Peeta.”

Overjoyed, he raised her dainty hands to his lips and kissed each one. “Thank you for believing me.” He held her hands up as he gazed into her eyes; then, he lowered his lips to give each hand another kiss.

“I’m sorry...for the way I reacted at first,” she said.

“No, you were completely justified. I was stupid, and I put my foot in my mouth. I’m sorry.”

A silence passed.

Annie broke it. “You know, I don’t mind that you’re friends with Katniss…”

“Really?”

“Really. I mean, I have male friends.”

“What male friends?” He pretended to be jealous but couldn’t maintain his hard stare. He grinned and leaned forward, partially trapping her under his body, though putting no weight on her much smaller frame. And he began tickling her.

It wasn’t long before Annie was laughing and gasping for air. “Peeta...Peet...stop...I-!”

He finally released her, and she straightened up, fixing her clothing. “You know which ones,” she went on to say. “My coworkers.”

“Oh yeah, all those guys who are much smarter than me,” he quipped.

“Not smarter, Peeta. Just different areas of interest. You know a lot about many things, and they could never hold a candle to you in the kitchen.”

“I hope the same goes for other places.” He smirked.

She wriggled her nose impishly. “Of course.” And she gave him a shove.

Just then, Peeta’s phone buzzed. He dug in his pocket for it and brought it out, swiping his pattern code into the lock screen. He tapped the phone a couple more times and grinned.

“Well, I’ll be.”

“What?” asked Annie.

Peeta gave a short, happy laugh. “Guess who’s coming to town?”

“Who?”

“Finnick Odair.”

“Finnick?” Annie went paler than usual. “Really? Finn-Finnick’s coming here?”

“Yeah, for a visit, next month.”

“Is he...where is he going to stay?” she asked, fidgeting with her fingers.

“Probably at a hotel, or his grandma’s.”

“Oh. So, he’s not going to stay here?”

“He didn’t ask, but if he needs a place to crash, I’ll offer it. If you don’t mind, that is…”

Annie put on a smile that was clearly fake, and Peeta had to wonder what this was all about. They’d all been friends years ago, and Annie had never seemed to have a real problem with Finnick.

“I don’t mind at all, Peeta. It’s your place, and he’s your friend.”

“He’s our friend, sweetheart. Remember?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, and this time, she smiled in a more realistic way. “It’ll be nice to see him again.”

* * *

 _ **Katniss  
**_  
Since the night Katniss had asked Peeta to stay, their friendship had steadily grown. Breakfast had become commonplace, at least on days Peeta was off and not with Annie. Annie always took precedence.

 _As it should be_ , thought Katniss, trying not to be bitter about it. Even if she was his second or third place priority (after work), she should consider herself privileged to be so high on Peeta Mellark’s list.

Before Peeta came over, he always sent her a courtesy text, for it was often early in the morning. Granted, Katniss hated getting up earlier than she had to, but for Peeta, she’d do it. Sure, it was early, and she looked a mess, but she’d rather see his handsome, smiling face than have him leave a basket on her doorstep. A couple of times she’d overslept and missed him, and it had left a hollow feeling in her chest all day, even despite the cute cards he’d left that had gotten her grinning from ear to ear.

When they ate breakfast together, Peeta usually cooked for them. Katniss should find it strange that this man was growing so accustomed to cooking in her kitchen, but she didn’t. And if he wasn’t able to have breakfast with her, he almost always brought her something, like bread, or pastries, or her favorite, cheese buns.

But their friendship wasn’t all one-sided. Katniss was teaching Peeta how to grow a garden. She’d even given him some seeds and offered him a hand if he ever needed one. He’d said he might take her up on that, and she almost swore his cheeks tinged pink when he said it. No, that was just silly, wishful thinking on her part, that he might see her as something more than his friend and neighbor.

Over the course of a couple of weeks, Katniss and Peeta talked and laughed and shared with one another; however, Katniss still hadn’t told Peeta the more private details of her life, particularly about her family and the source of her nightmares. He hadn’t pried, nor had he slept over again. And why should he? What was she hoping for, anyway? That he would climb into bed with her and hold her when the nightmares came? That he’d chase them away with soothing words, strong arms, and a warm, solid body?

No, all his strength and warmth, all his comforting was reserved for Annie’s nightmares.

Katniss wished it were her, and she hated herself for it...

As much as Katniss wanted to hate Annie, she couldn’t bring herself to‒not after meeting her. Peeta’s girlfriend was as nice as Peeta had said she was. Besides, Annie was blameless in this matter; she was the one at fault for having impure thoughts about an unavailable guy. And most days, she was disgusted with herself.

That fateful day she met Annie, Peeta had been chatting Katniss up in her yard, possibly even flirting the tiniest bit; although who knew?‒Peeta was just like that! It was so hard to tell if he was flirting with her or just being his normal friendly self, but there were times...yes, there were definitely times when it had to be something more than just Katniss’s imagination. Anyway, while they were talking, said girlfriend had materialized from behind his front door and called out to him about some issue so domestic it sounded like they were married, or close to. And it wrenched Katniss’s gut. Peeta called back that he’d be in shortly, but when Annie saw the two of them standing there, probably thinking too close, she’d checked the road both ways and jogged across the street, Kelp nipping at her heels.

Peeta’s girlfriend sidled up to him, offering Katniss a small but sincere-looking smile. Turning to her, Peeta placed a single hand on her shoulder.

“Annie, hey.” Then he motioned to her. “This is Katniss, my neighbor.”

“Oh, you’re Katniss!” chirped Annie like a little songbird. “It’s nice to finally officially meet you.” She reached out to shake Katniss’s hand, and Katniss accepted it. “Peeta talks about you all the time.”

Really? And likewise.

Katniss looked over at Peeta, and there was no mistaking it; he was bright red to the tips of his ears.

“Well, not all the time, hon.” Peeta chuckled, looking from Annie to Katniss. He cleared his throat. “Uh, I’ve told Annie a few stories about you,” he shrugged, “like how you helped me catch Kelp, and some other things.” Peeta rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly torn on where to focus his eyes.

“I was just joking.” Annie lightly nudged Peeta in the ribs with her tiny elbow. Then she focused on Katniss, giving her another sweet smile. “I’m forever grateful to you, Katniss, for helping Peeta find my dog. As you must know, Kelp is very important to me. She’s more than just a pet; she’s a family member, and in a way, she’s been my salvation.”

What about Peeta? wondered Katniss. Well, it wasn’t her business whether Annie appreciated Peeta’s role in her life or not. She was sure she did.

“And as for this one,” Annie patted Peeta’s arm, “Don’t be bothered by him always coming around. He’s just very friendly.” Peeta chuckled a little awkwardly.

All of a sudden, Katniss felt oddly protective of Peeta. “I’m not bothered,” she assured. Bothered was definitely not the word she’d use, unless ‘hot and’ was tacked on at the beginning. She pushed aside that thought so as not to reveal herself. But no, she was anything but bothered by Peeta’s presence; if anything, she relished it, even sought it out on occasion.

“Good to know,” said Peeta, smiling. She smiled back at him.

Katniss felt like she needed to diffuse this little moment they appeared to be having right in front of his girlfriend, so she wiped off her smile and added, “Peeta has been a commendable neighbor.” Well, she supposed that sounded appropriate, if not a little weird.

“That’s Peeta, alright,” chimed in Annie. “I’m glad he’s been able to help you out, Katniss, like you helped us.”

“It was no problem,” replied she. Chasing down Kelp with Peeta felt so long ago, although it really hadn’t been.

Shortly after, the two had to go, but Katniss had another run-in with Annie, her alone, a few days later while Peeta was at work She’d just finished an article she was writing and had gone outside to tend her garden. Annie had been across the street in Peeta’s yard with Kelp, who was strapped into her harness…

When Annie saw Katniss, she came jogging over. Oh, so she was going to be like Peeta now‒just coming over whenever she felt like it. Well, maybe not exactly like Peeta, and Katniss didn’t exactly mind when Peeta came over, though it still flustered her a little. Annie, on the other hand, well, she was hard to dislike, and Katniss didn’t know her, nor did she really want to put herself through getting to know her. She’d just end up liking her, and she was perfectly content living in her immature little world of disdain and jealousy.

From beside Annie, Kelp nudged Katniss’s hand, knocking her out of her stupor. She pet the top of the dog’s golden head.

“Ah, Kelp likes you,” said Annie. “She must know you’re not a threat to me.”

One would assume Annie meant physically, that Kelp knew Katniss didn’t intend on doing Annie bodily harm. On the other hand, she had to wonder if Annie was insinuating something more, like that she was no threat to her relationship with Peeta. Well, Katniss knew she wasn’t. And Annie was probably too sweet to come up with things like that, anyway.

As for Kelp, if only the mutt knew the terrible thoughts she’d had about wanting to steal away her master’s boyfriend, she’d bite her hand right off. They were thoughts she’d never act on, but she’d had them, nonetheless. Good thing Kelp was only a dog and incapable of both mind-reading and understanding complex human thoughts and emotions.

Peeta hadn’t been by for a few days, and truthfully, Katniss was a little disappointed. She’d seen him in passing, and he’d smiled and waved those times, but nothing more than that. She assumed he’d been busy. Or, maybe Annie had picked up on something; maybe she hadn’t been imagining it. Maybe Annie had convinced Peeta to stay away.

It was probably for the best.

But later that day, Katniss was in her garden, tending her plants and resigning herself to things between Peeta and her fizzling when Peeta and Kelp dropped by.

“Hey, Katniss,” she heard Peeta greet in his friendly manner. She looked up and studied his face briefly before lowering her eyes.

“Hey, Peeta.” She didn’t mean to sound cold or hurt, but it came out a little like that.

“So, I, uh, wanted to apologize for...for not being around much the last few days.”

She shook her head, still focusing on the trowel in her hand and the fresh soil beneath her. “No need for that.”

“Well, it just...must seem a little sudden, but well,” he was struggling to get his words out, which was so unlike Peeta. “I mean, for one, I’ve been really busy at the bakery, but also, Annie’s comment the other day got to me a little...”

Katniss’s eyes shot up to his.

“What she said about me bothering you…” Peeta shifted from side to side. “I think maybe I have been.”

_Oh, that Annie! Her words had gotten into his head…_

“No, you haven’t, Peeta,” she assured.

“You don’t have to be nice about it, Katniss.”

“I’m not.” Hadn’t he learned yet that she may not be a woman of many words, but she didn’t pussyfoot around or fluff matters up?

Katniss moved to stand, and Peeta held his hand out to help her up. Reluctantly, she took it, thrilling in the warm jolt it sent through her body.

“Really, Peeta,” she insisted, facing him. “You don’t bother me at all. I just…,” she ran her left foot up and down the back of her right ankle, “I just don’t get why you want to spend so much of your free time with me.”

“Because I like hanging out with you, Katniss.”

A smile crossed her lips.

“But maybe I’m being too pushy or inconsiderate about it.”

“You’re not.” She shook her head. “And I...I like hanging out with you, too, Peeta.”

Peeta beamed, then gave an over-exaggerated sigh. “Well, that’s a relief.”

Katniss watched Peeta’s head turn, and then she saw what he had. Apparently, they’d been so caught up in their conversation that they’d ignored Kelp, who had managed to dig up nearly all of her primroses!

Katniss dropped her trowel, her face going white with horror. She felt sick, and her whole body was beginning to shake.

“Kelp! No!” Peeta shouted, too late of course. “What’s gotten into you? Bad girl!” He pointed an accusatory finger at the dog. Kelp whimpered and lowered her head slightly but didn’t run off like before when confronted by Peeta.

Hot tears stung at the corners of Katniss’s eyes unbidden. She could barely look at Peeta, but when she did, he appeared mortified.

“Oh, oh, oh, my god, Katniss.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m so sorry...I don’t know what got into Kelp.” He took a step forward, then, extending his arms as if he was going to embrace her.

But she didn’t want that right now. Any other time, maybe, but not now. She stepped back, out of his reach, turned, and without a word, ran off toward her front door.

“Katniss, wait!” she heard him calling from behind her. “I’m sorry! Please wait!”

She didn’t stop, though, not until she was safely inside. She slammed the door behind her and dropped heavily back against it. Slowly, she slid down the door until seated, and she drew her knees up to her chest, buried her head in her arms, and cried like a little girl.

Katniss remained like that until she was all cried out; then, she went to the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of tea, and she sat down at the table with it. She stared across at the empty chair where Peeta often sat as of late. And she shook her head. No, she didn’t want to think about him.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket; it had a few times before, but she assumed it was Peeta, and she didn’t want to talk to him, or see him, right now. Still, she decided to glance at the messages.

There were half a dozen, mostly sorrys and promises to make it up to her.

“Sorry, Peeta,” she muttered to herself. “Not this time.” He didn’t even know what he’d done, so how could he begin to make up for it?

 *****  
**  
Katniss ventured out of her house when she was sure Peeta would be gone, about 45 minutes later. She’d calmed down enough to think about the matter rationally, and she’d decided that she could easily replant the primroses. It wasn’t a big deal. But the destruction, or at least disruption, of the bright yellow flowers had impacted her more than she would’ve imagined...

She headed out to her garden but pulled up short. Peeta was still there, crouched down, his face flushed from digging up the ground. He’d replanted the primroses.

Katniss stared down at them, and they looked fine, just fine. It even appeared as though he’d run to the store for more of them because there were several more primrose plants in little, black nursery pots alongside the garden.

He looked up at her. “Hey,” he spoke softly.

“Hey,” she replied.

Peeta rubbed the back of his neck, then glanced over at the pots. “I, I, uh, thought about filling out some of the spaces,” he said, without looking at her. “I can add these to the lot if you want. I don’t have to. I can leave the original ones only.”

When he met her eyes, Katniss nodded.

She heard a whimper, then, and turned to see Kelp lying on the ground on the other side of Peeta, paws splayed out, her head resting on them. She looked contrite and obedient as Katniss had ever seen her. Fixing Katniss with those big, brown eyes, she whimpered again, and her tail began to tentatively wag.

“Kelp wants to apologize,” said Peeta. “She feels awful about what happened. We both do.”

Yes, Katniss had been planning on going and screaming at that stupid dog of Annie’s later, and also at Peeta for allowing it to happen, but it wasn’t really his fault. And after what he’d done…

Just then, Kelp got up and padded forward a couple of steps. Taking the hint, Katniss gave her permission and beckoned the sweet, golden terror. Kelp trotted over, whipping her tail from side to side. She sat down before Katniss and stared up at her.

“She’s never come to me before,” remarked Katniss. “Not on her own, anyway, or without bacon.”

Peeta smiled thinly. “Well, she knows you’re distressed. Therapy dog, remember?”

“I was distressed,” she corrected. “I’m better now.”

Kelp nudged Katniss’s hand with her snout like before, then licked it, and Katniss patted her head to show her there were no hard feelings. She looked back at Peeta.

“You replanted them,” she muttered.

“Yeah,” he said, moving to stand. His shirt and pants were covered in dirt, more than they probably should be. But she couldn’t fault him for that; she knew he never gardened.

What he did was so incredibly thoughtful that it made tears spring to Katniss’s eyes.

“I told you I clean up my messes,” said he, a hint of lightness to his tone, although his face was more somber than she’d ever seen it.

She really didn’t know how to thank him. This small act of kindness meant more to her than just about anything anyone had ever done for her, and she wanted him to know she appreciated it. She wanted to thank him properly, though she didn’t quite know how.

Most of all, she wanted to go to him. And after only a brief hesitation, she did.

Peeta reached out for her just about the same time as she did, and he folded her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, digging her fingers lightly into his back. He smelled so good, and his embrace was so steady and warm. What would it be like to experience this on a daily basis?

“I’m so sorry, Katniss,” Peeta whispered against her hair.

“It’s okay,” she replied, just prior to her decision to indulge a little and bury her face in his shirt.

“Thank you. Thank you so much,” she blubbered against the dirty cloth. But she didn’t care one bit about it being dirty, and she held fast, never wanting to let go.

Eventually, the hug had to come to an end, and Katniss let him lead her inside. He took her straight to her kitchen for something to drink, and this time, he made her a cup of hot chocolate. A little out of season, but it did the trick.

Over hot chocolate, Katniss apologized for her freakout and told Peeta about her sister, Primrose. And she didn’t resist when he reached out to place his hand over hers, nor did she when he laced his fingers with hers.

Katniss’s crush on Peeta seemed to be getting worse and worse, and she didn’t know what to do about it. Ignoring him hadn’t worked, but obviously, being around him wasn’t helping to tone down her feelings. It was ridiculous, really. Whenever she saw him, her heart raced, and her hands grew clammy. She felt like a schoolgirl.

A schoolgirl with very womanly urges, that is.

It was mid-afternoon, and Peeta had just gotten home from the bakery. Katniss was heading out to get her mail, which she’d forgotten about it this morning. She saw Peeta pull into his drive, get out, and open his trunk. He lugged a big bag of something out with ease and flung it over his shoulder. Turning her way, he smiled and waved with his free hand, and Katniss’s heart began its usual erratic cadence. A smile playing on her lips, she waved back then cocked her head to the side to observe him. He started heading toward his door, and she toward the mailbox, both looking at each other rather than where they were going.

Katniss suddenly felt her foot sink down and twist unnaturally. A sharp, burning sensation hit her, and she yelped in pain as she fell onto her side. So painful was it that she only vaguely heard Peeta call her name.

She looked down at the site of her injury. Her ankle. And the culprit? The large gopher hole beside her mailbox.

 _Dammit_. She felt so dumb. She knew about the stupid hole and could have easily avoided it, had she been paying attention and not gawking at Peeta’s muscular form.

She reached out to touch her ankle; it was severely tender and already beginning to swell. She shifted a little and moved to stand, but the searing pain hit her like a mack truck, and she dropped right back down onto her bottom.

All of a sudden, Peeta was at her side on his knees, hovering over her and asking if she was okay. “I’m-I’m o-oka‒” She sucked in a sharp breath and squeezed her eyes shut.

Now she’d done it. Gone and injured herself, and for the stupidest reasons. All because of her hot neighbor and a stupid gopher, which was dead meat if she ever caught it!

Of course, she was mostly to blame. She was way too old for silly crushes that made her act like she had no sense or coordination. Honestly, didn’t a person grow out of that sort of thing at a certain point? Not that she’d ever really had intense crushes like this one. She was a little late in the game, she supposed (okay, a lot), but there was really no room for them before. And Peeta Mellark, the man, was so much different than all the boys she’d known back then.

Even so, Katniss was sure she’d reached an all-time low with her crush‒it was now causing her physical pain, in addition to her mental anguish.

While she cursed out the gopher good, threatening to catch it and cook it, and gave herself an intensive mental admonishment, Peeta examined her ankle. He was so focused on her condition that he didn’t even smirk at her empty threat to the gopher, nor did he even ask if she could put any weight on her ankle. He simply scooped her up in his arms.

Katniss yelped. “Peeta, what‒?”

Her voice trailed off as she considered her rather fortuitous predicament. She was once again in the arms of the man she was crazy about, only it wasn’t a simple hug. It was different, even, from the time he’d happily swung her around after finding Kelp. Right now he was carrying her, bridal-style, and it might be romantic if it didn’t hurt like hell‒her ankle and her heart. The latter because this wasn’t real; it was only an illusion of intimacy. Peeta was simply being a good friend, neighbor, and samaritan. He was only doing what any decent guy would do. Then again, not many guys she’d known. Why did there seem to be so few like him around?

Peeta headed toward Katniss’s front door, but then he paused. “Maybe I better take you to the hospital.”

“Peeta, I don’t think that’s necessary,” she protested. “I…”

“You couldn’t even put weight on it, Katniss. I saw.”

“But...I’m sure it’ll be okay after a few days. I don’t have my insurance card, and...” She tried to come up with something better, but she was finding it difficult to think over the throbbing in her ankle and the pounding in her heart.

It was all for naught, anyway, for there was clearly no convincing Peeta. At least not with her flimsy excuses. And apparently, Peeta was some kind of expert on leg and foot injuries and assured her that even the minor ones should not be ignored.

So, she resigned herself and leaned into him. He was just so warm and comforting and smelled so good that she couldn’t resist. It wasn’t the first time she’d been close to him, and admittedly, the pain made it hard to focus on much else, but she was really trying not to. And so, she held onto Peeta’s scent, that incredible freshly baked bread scent that seemed baked straight into his clothing. How did it manage to stick to him, and not to mention mix so pleasantly with whatever cologne he wore and his natural manly scent?

As he carried her across the street to his car, Katniss snuggled in, her lips accidentally brushing his neck in a whisper of a touch. It felt very intimate, and she swore they both shivered.

 *****  
**  
Peeta took Katniss to the hospital and waited patiently for her to get an X-ray. There was a brief uncomfortable moment when the doctor referred to him as her husband, but they blew past it. Of course, that little mistake was going to set with Katniss for a while. She could live for weeks on these small moments in which she could imagine having a more than friendly relationship with Peeta.

Because there was no one else to call, and Peeta was giving her that puppy look, Katniss signed a HIPAA form allowing the doctor to talk to him, too. The doctor explained that the ankle wasn’t broken, that it was only a severe sprain. He ordered some stronger than over-the-counter pain medication for her and told her that in addition to the medication, she should rest, ice it, elevate it, and keep off it as much as possible for about a week.

Katniss cursed under her breath practically the entire way home about what a pain this was and how she could have been so stupid.

“Don’t worry, Katniss. I’ll help you,” Peeta assured. But she didn’t really want that; she’d already imposed on him way too much.

When they got back to her place, Peeta carried her from the car, despite her protests. She handed him her key at the door, and he unlocked it, pushing through and shutting it behind him. Then he headed for the stairs. Katniss looked curiously at him, and he simply said, “I know where your bedroom is.”

A flood of warmth rushed over Katniss, even despite the matter-of-fact way he said it and the worried furrow in his brow. He definitely wasn’t thinking of it the way she was.

Katniss sighed. She was an idiot.

Also, Peeta had more than repaid his small debt to her. If anything, she owed him BIG now. And if his seemingly endless cycle of good deeds kept up, she’d never stop owing him...

* * *

 ** _Peeta  
_**  
After bringing her home from the hospital, he’d set Katniss up in her room with her laptop and phone, food and drink (he’d even lent her his mini-fridge), her medication, and just about anything she might need within close range. And he’d told her to call him if she needed anything.

He hated leaving her in such a state, but he needed to get home. Hopefully, she’d actually call if she needed something.

About two hours later, he did get a call from Katniss. She told him she’d just taken her pain medication and that she felt funny. Her voice was different; she sounded groggy, which could be attributed to sleep, but it seemed like more than that. She almost sounded drunk. He hung up and rushed over there. He didn’t have to break in this time, as Katniss had told him about the extra key. She’d said it was only in case of emergencies, and in order to spare her new door.

She was definitely having some issues, and he was ready to take her to the hospital for the second time that day, but she objected. She was actually whining like a child about not wanting to go and begging him not to make her. So, he gave the doctor a call and described what was happening. The doctor asked several questions about nausea and vomiting and if she’d mixed the painkillers with any alcohol or other drugs, all of which she denied.

“Okay,” Peeta said, hanging up when finished, “the doctor says you’re having a reaction or sensitivity to the pain medication and that you should discontinue it right away. He says you’ll be fine and that the symptoms should subside soon, but to call 9-1-1 immediately if you have nausea, vomiting, numbness, vision problems...,” Peeta went over the list in his head, “or you have severe confusion or trouble breathing.”

“OK, thankss, Peeta.” Katniss was slurring her words a little, but she sounded slightly better than earlier. She buried her face in her pillow, then, and waved him off as if she wanted him to go.

“No way, Katniss. I’m not leaving you alone.” It meant cancelling plans with Annie, but so be it. He needed to do it. Annie would understand.

“No, Peeta. You’ve done too much already,” she argued. “Get out of here.”

“I’m sorry, Katniss, but I’m not leaving you. You could die.”

“I won’t die,” she belligerently said. Peeta rolled his eyes.

“You don’t know that, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me again for the night.”

“Alright,” she mumbled, rolling over onto her side and giving him a gummy smile. Well, that was surprisingly easy. Her drug-induced haze had suddenly made her extremely mellow.

Katniss reached out for him then; he moved closer and took her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah…” She seemed to go off somewhere in her head for quite a while.

“You sure?” he pressed.

“Yeah, just...Peeta?”

“Yes?”

“I need to...I have to tell you...something.” She tightened her grip on his hand, and he squeezed back in a comforting gesture.

“What is it?” he asked, softly smiling down at her.

She was staring up at him with those steely eyes of hers, only the normally somber, slightly mysterious look of them had been replaced by a clouded one. “I like you, Peeta,” she said, throwing him completely off-kilter. “I like you so much.” Her speech was slightly garbled but understandable.

But...had she really just said that?

Surely, she didn’t mean it the way he thought she meant it...

Regardless, Peeta’s chest constricted slightly. He kept his cool, though, and he smiled and stroked back her hair. “I like you, too, Katniss. You’re my favorite neighbor. You even beat out old Mags, and I’ve known her for years.”

“No, Peeta,” she retorted. “Not like that. Not like a neighbor...”

Peeta cleared his throat. “Uh, like a friend?”

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “No, I‒”

“Katniss, shh, don’t try to talk. Just sleep.” He ran his knuckle lightly down her cheek, and she sighed contentedly. But then her eyes snapped open.

“No, I need to say this...before I chicken out.”

Peeta wasn’t sure he needed to hear, but he let her go on.

Katniss’s eyes still had that dazed look in them, although she was staring somberly straight into his. “Sssince the day I met you,” she began to stammer again. “I had thiss cru-crunch-crussh...on you.”

“Katniss, what?” A nervous laugh escaped his lips. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“You make me feel...stuff…”

“I make you feel stuff?” he slowly repeated, just to be sure he’d heard her right. She wasn’t making a lot of sense, and that worried him. Then again, if she was in her right mind, that worried him, too, for other reasons...

Katniss’s eyelashes began to flutter, her eyelids visibly growing heavier. “I think...I think I’m...falling in love with you, Peeta Mellark” was the last thing she said before zonking out.

Peeta took a deep, calming breath. Wow. That was...no, it couldn’t be true. Had to be the pain medication talking, which was highly concerning. The doctor had said they should call 9-1-1 if she experienced extreme confusion. And his neighbor, Katniss Everdeen, thinking she was in love with him...she seemed pretty confused to him.

He thought to wake her and press her more about it, but she was sleeping so peacefully. He checked her forehead and her pulse. Seemed normal, and she was breathing steadily. So, he decided to leave her be.

But he stayed awake all night, watching over her, worrying, and thinking about what she’d said…

The next morning, Katniss was 100% better, at least in regard to the pain medication reaction. Her ankle was still swollen, naturally, and causing her a lot of pain, so he brought her breakfast in bed. As he carried the tray upstairs, he thought once more about the things Katniss had said last night. Eventually, he casually brought it up, asking if she’d said that in the manner in which he always asked Annie: Real or Not Real?

“Not Real,” she answered immediately, though she couldn’t seem to look him in the eye.

“Oh.” Why did that disappoint him a tiny bit? What the hell was wrong with him? He was an ass. “I assumed,” he quickly recovered, giving her a friendly smile. But it seemed he’d embarrassed her, and he felt like an ass about that, too.

“Not to worry, Katniss,” he assured, and turning on his humor defense mechanism, he added, “I’d rather you confess your undying love to me while on painkillers than curse me out or tell me everything that’s wrong with me any day of the week.”

Katniss gaped cutely at him.

“I-I was talking shit, Peeta. I was so messed up I didn’t know what I was saying. I didn’t mean any of those things.” Again, not a speck of eye contact. And how was she so clear on what she’d said?

“I was only kidding,” he half-lied. “You must know my sense of humor leaves something to be desired by now.”

That made Katniss ease up a bit, and she gave him a faint smile. “I don’t mind it.”

They shared a genuine smile, and at Peeta’s behest, Katniss iced her ankle.

They didn’t talk about the subject of last night any further, but Peeta spent the day there, looking after Katniss. He even helped her to the bathroom a couple of times, much to Katniss’s dismay. He, of course, gave her privacy, but she still complained about feeling weird, and like an invalid.

Believe me, Katniss, if anyone knows about being an invalid, it’s me.

But, that was another story for another day. He didn’t want to bore her or upstage her injury with his.

By mid-afternoon, Katniss had relaxed and accepted his presence. She was currently working on something on her laptop while he sketched beside her.

“What are you drawing?” she asked after several minutes of pretending she wasn’t trying to catch a peek. She did it again.

“Ah-ah, no peeking!”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s a surprise.”

“Is it...it’s not for me, is it?”

“Maaybe!” He grinned.

She reached out, then, for the top of his sketch pad but rotated her ankle too far in the process, and she yelped a little.

“Katniss!” he chided. “Stop moving around. You’re going to fall out of bed and twist your other ankle, or worse! Break a hip or something.”

“Hey, I’m not that old!”

Peeta guffawed. “Sorry. Fine, your arm, then. Those tiny little things would snap like a twig.” He poked her in the arm, and Katniss’s olive cheeks reddened slightly.

* * *

 _ **Katniss  
**_  
After her idiotic, doped-up confession of love to Peeta, Katniss was relieved when he bought that it had been the drugs talking. She didn’t think she could do anything much worse than that, but when she accidentally video called him early one morning, she was almost as mortified.

Because Peeta answered the video call shirtless...

_For the love of…!_

Would the torture never cease?

He’d been checking on her every morning (and throughout the day); he’d brought her cheese buns and even a potted flower for her bedside table. And he’d basically been at her beck and call for three days. It was sweet but way too much, especially for someone who wasn’t even her boyfriend.

To her relief, Peeta was actually at his home today, but of course, she had to go and flub things up by accidentally calling him. And now she’d seen him without a shirt...Great. So, now she had a visual memory of his rippling muscles to go along with her mental picture.

And the actual thing was far better than her imagination…

_Dammit._

Rather than acting like a normal person and apologizing for bumping the button to call him, Katniss berated him for answering the phone like that. Peeta simply told her he’d just gotten out of the shower and that he didn’t care if she saw him.

And she responded, of all the things to say, “Save that for your girlfriend.”

It was childish and ruder than she’d intended, but she’d just impulsively run her mouth. She supposed it was much better than saying how she’d like to run her tongue along his chest and stomach.

_Oh, God!_

“Uh, sorry, Katniss. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t,” she muttered, contritely looking away. Why was she jumping down his throat, anyway, when she was clearly the one with the problem here?

“I answered quickly because I was worried it might be another emergency.”

Katniss sighed. Well, now she felt like a real jerk.

“Besides, it’s nothing you wouldn’t see at the beach.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes at the gesture and his confident little smirk.

_Damn you, Mellark. You look good, and you know it._

She didn’t think he was purposely flaunting himself, though. He was just comfortable in his own skin. It was nothing to him, although it had her entire body on fire...

“So, is everything okay, Katniss?”

Katniss snapped to. “Yes. It was an accident that I called you. And I’m sorry, but you don’t have to jump any time I call or message.” That sounded a little arrogant on her part, but it was sort of what he’d been doing. She tried to dilute her previous statement with a weak attempt at humor. “You’re not my doctor or personal nurse, you know, Peeta.”

Of course, saying so was a mistake because it put a few fantasies in her head…

“I know,” replied Peeta, jarring her from her dirty thoughts. He shrugged, causing his muscles to bunch up deliciously. And...back to the dirty thoughts… “But I feel sort of responsible, for distracting you like that.”

Katniss’s cheeks flamed. “Distracting me?”

“Yeah. You know, I waved and got your attention, and you were looking at me when you stepped in that hole.”

Katniss fidgeted with her braid. That was true. She hoped he hadn’t read anything more into it. Oh well, it was no more condemning than her drug-addled confession, and he’d dismissed that easily. Maybe she was free and clear.

 *******  
A couple of days later, after testing her ankle, Katniss decided to take a walk. _Finally_ , she thought, breathing in the fresh air. It’d been so long since she’d been outside. Peeta probably wouldn’t approve of her putting her full weight on it so soon, but fortunately, he was at the bakery. Besides, he was neither her doctor nor her boyfriend, and even if he were the latter, she’d most likely defy him on this one. It had been long enough.

She walked down the main road of her neighborhood, coming to a stop when she saw old Mags Flanagan stepping out her door. She was clearly going for her mail. Katniss waved and told the old woman she’d get it for her.

Katniss opened Mags’s nautical mailbox, which was shaped like a whale and had a bunch of fish hooks hanging from it. It was sort of a hazard, but it was Mags’ art, so to speak. Katniss carefully snatched the mail from the whale’s mouth and delivered it to Mags at her doorstep.

“You’re sweet, dear,” old Mags muttered. This time, unlike others, Katniss understood all of what she’d said. And she prided herself on having gotten much better at interpreting the sweet old lady’s muddled speech. It must be true what they said‒practice makes perfect, at nearly anything.

Mags invited Katniss in for tea and cookies, an offer she couldn’t refuse. Halfway through their tea, Mags reached across the table and placed a withered hand on Katniss’s shoulder. Mags was such a pretty lady, so healthy and vivacious for her age, and honestly, Katniss hoped she looked half as good at her age and got around remotely as well. The thing about Mags was, her orneriness was equally robust. Thus, Katniss should have known something was to come when she smiled impishly at her as she did.

“You’re single, aren’t you, dearie?” Mags asked.

“Uh, yes...I am,” answered Katniss, reluctantly.

“Well, how would you like to go on a date?”

“A date?” Katniss questioned. Okay, she wasn’t expecting that one. Perhaps she’d misheard her again. But Mags was nodding and grinning like the cat that ate the canary, so she assumed she hadn’t. “Um...with-with who?”

“My grandson,” Mags said proudly.

“Oh. Well, uh…”

“He lives on the west coast, California,” Mags spoke with an air of importance, “but he’s coming to town next week for a visit.” She squeezed Katniss’s shoulder. “He’s about your age, and he’s very charming and handsome.” Mags winked at her.

Oh, that was all she needed, another charming, handsome man around‒who wasn’t available. One was enough. What was Mags thinking? This couldn’t go anywhere. Even if she did end up liking her grandson, he wasn’t sticking around. He was only in town for a visit…

But then again, maybe...maybe this was the perfect thing for her. Katniss despised blind dates with a vengeance, but if she didn’t like Mags’ grandson, she had the perfect excuse to dump him. And on the flip side, he could be just the distraction she needed to take her mind off a certain charming, handsome, unattainable baker, who lived across the street...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is endgame Everlark and Odesta, so don't kill me.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is VERY loosely based on something that happened to me. Only the basic premise. I changed and added a lot to it. Basically, the only true parts are that a guy in my neighborhood was looking for his dog and stopped to ask me if I’d seen it, and he was calling out something that sounded like ‘Help,’ so I asked if he was okay. That’s how the whole idea started. He did find his dog, btw. Anyway, I thought about a name that sounded like help, and kelp popped into my head because it rhymed, which led me to Annie because of the ocean thing, and there you have it.
> 
> FYI: I don’t know much about service dogs, aside from my experience with my aunt and uncle’s dogs. They were both in the military, and he has PTSD, and she’s had knee surgery, and their dogs support them with those issues.
> 
> P.S. Please don’t hate me Everlarkers. I’m a huge Everlarker (Odesta, too), and I promise the wrong will be righted in time. Honestly, I only originally chose Annie as Peeta’s girlfriend to go along with the name of the dog, lol, and then I thought about the PTSD and how that might be an interesting subject to broach with Peeta, Annie, Katniss, and possibly others…
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed, regardless of Peeta being attached and the angst at the end! Part II to come at a later time.


End file.
